The Soulmate is a psychological thriller that delves deep into relationships and marriage. And just how far will you go into believing what your partner tells you?

Told in two different voices and backforth timelines we read the book through Pippa's and Amanda's viewpoints. There's a lot to process in this book and a lot of twists that do keep the pace fast and thrilling.

The subject line of this book is heavy and is enjoyable. I read this book today in one sitting, and it's very difficult to put it down.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this book.

CW: Suicide, mental illness, infidelity, and mentions of drinking

Sally Hepworth is a must read author for me and she always delivers. She serves up relatable characters, complex plots, and twists I never thought to expect.

The Soulmate was an interesting read and pretty unique. The characters weren't particularly likeable but they were definitely human and I kept wanting to give Gabe passes because he was a good dad. But, this is one of those novels that's an onion and as each layer is peeled, you just know you don't have the full story yet. I was so frustrated with Pippa for her naivety but in true Hepworth fashion, I was still rooting for her.

I loved peeling back the layers on this one and it went places I never would have expected at the beginning.

I listened to the audio and thought the narrators were great. They do have Australian accents (which is a plus for me!) but I listened a bit slower than my usual speed just so I didn't miss a single word.

If you love a fast paced, contemporary novel with a bit of thrill, Hepworth is your gal and The Soulmate will be a stellar choice.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy,

QUICK BITS
•Slow burn
•Domestic thriller
•Short chapters
•Emotional impact

REVIEW
I knew fully well when I picked this one up that there was a better chance that I didn't like it than I did.

However, the last Hepworth I read fully worked for me, so I decided even though domestic thrillers are not my cup of tea, I'd take the chance.

To my delight...this was for me.

What really made this book for me was the writing. There was this level of flare added to every part of this book that just piqued something in my brain.

Every character and situation had just this little bit of nuance that made me intrigued in a way most domestic thrillers lack.

I really enjoyed that there were 2 POVs from 2 different timelines, yet laid out in a way that was easily to follow and digest (AND they were short chapters, ugh YES, I love short chapters).

There were times for me that I wished it moved a little faster and that there was a bit more dynamics propelling the plot, but in the end it won me over.

As you will see from my SOS and impact ratings this turned out to be surprisingly impactful (see below for more details).

RATINGS
7 Characters
7 Atmosphere
10 Writing Style
7 Plot
6 Pace
6 Intrigue
7 Enjoyment
2 SOS Bonus
2 Impact Bonus
TOTAL= 50+4= 54/14= 3.86

2.00/5.00 SOS Rating (scale of surprise)
--I feel like there were little easter eggs that I missed in this one and ultimately found myself surprised by what unfolded in the end. It didn't feel like a twist, but I think that's a good thing in this case as it ties into the emotional impact.

2.00/5.00 Impact Rating
--Disclaimer that I rarely apply my impact rating for thrillers, but this one did something to me. The title and where the story went still has me pondering the purpose of this book in a way I would not have expected.

3.75/5.00 Rounded Rating

I feel like like this book had a little bit of everything in it! And it has a twist on the good and bad sides of marriage. I read in the acknowledgements that Sally got the idea while on lockdown during the pandemic, when marriages really were put to the ultimate test! I thoroughly enjoyed this read!

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth

There’s a cottage on a cliff. Gabe and Pippa’s dream home in a sleepy coastal town. But their perfect house hides something sinister. The tall cliffs have become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Night after night Gabe comes to their rescue, literally talking them off the ledge. Until he doesn’t.

When Pippa discovers Gabe knew the victim, the questions spiral...Did the victim jump? Was she pushed?

And would Gabe, the love of Pippa’s life, her soulmate...lie? As the perfect facade of their marriage begins to crack, the deepest and darkest secrets begin to unravel.

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My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5/5

Happy publication day to this book!

I loved this book! It was fast paced and the chapters were short which made it easy to fly through. I read it in a day! It has multiple POV and tension that keeps you guessing throughout the entire book. Everytime you think you have something figured out another plot twist appears. It was gripping and the characters held so many secrets I didn’t know who was telling the truth. I absolutely adored the acknowledgments and how this book came to be. So thank you for that little tip bit Sally Hepworth. Such a thrilling ride!!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

#bookstagram #readersofinstagram #arcs #sallyhepworthauthor #thriller

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth early. Please be advised that suicide topics can be found in this book if this triggers you. As with all of the Hepworth books I've read, the story sucks you in and you don't want to put it down. I loved the different view points and shifting timeline as the story comes together. It wasn't too far fetched a some thrillers can be and there are certainly some unexpected twists. It wasn't my favorite by her but it was worth the read.

What a great book! The story centers around a young couple with preschool daughters who buy a house overlooking the ocean, alongside "The Drop" - a cliff where many people come to commit suicide.
As they go about their daily lives, we glimpse their activities and the love they have for each other. Pippa is an attorney who specializes in wills and estate, while Gabe is the stay at home dad who takes the girls to preschool and otherwise cares for the family's needs.
Gabe is featured as a local hero for having talked down several people from jumping off The Drop. One night, however, Pippa sees a woman heading toward the edge and Gabe rushes outside to talk her down. Unfortunately, he is unsuccessful and she jumps to her death...And then the story takes off!
Told in alternate short chapters from the perspectives of Pippa and Amanda (the victim) providing their back stories (Then) as well as the current events they are experiencing or seeing in Amanda's case (Now), this book grabbed me! The stories were well developed, plausible, believable and thoroughly unexpected. There were twists and turn throughout the story and they all made sense! The ending was perfect - it tied up the loose ends in an understandable way, it brought closure to the main issues, and affirmed the values that each character believed in.
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an ARC of this wonderful book which will certainly be on my book clubs recommendation lists,

Sally Hepworth always blows me out of the water with her books.
This one was no different.

It was a fast pace issue after issue. And once you think you know what's happening she drops a bomb and you have to rethink everything. I couldn't put it down.

If ypu haven't read any of her books what are u doing with yourself go read all of her books.

Thanks to Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review

"Everything is not what it seems.."

I enjoyed this mystery thriller! With dual perspectives and short chapters, this thriller was a quick read.

Read in physical and audio format, I was either quickly turning the pages, or wrapped up in the narration with each end of chapter cliffhanger.

I liked the atmosphere of the story, with the small town setting and the eerie cliffs. The family dynamics created a very layered style of character development that I really enjoyed. The past and present timelines provided unique perspectives of the characters, with sudden and intermittent plot twists. There were also several aspects of this novel that I did not predict, and I definitely appreciated that as a reader!

I would definitely recommend this one!

I was hooked on this book from the first chapter. I loved how there were short chapters with a few different POVs and an alternating timeline of "before" and "after". It was fun to find out more secrets from each character as we got deeper into the story and there were so many twists. Also, that ending! Sally Hepworth never disappoints!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this one a lot! It’s my first Sally Hepworth read and I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I really liked about it was that it’s a thriller, but with this massive undercurrent of love and what that love might cost a person. I found parts of it so sweet, and parts of it so sad - it’s not the type of thriller that’s scary, it’s more about uncovering what happens and putting the pieces together like a puzzle. I liked the ending and it was not what I expected.

“To society, there is nothing purer than a family with small children. Except, perhaps, being elderly and enjoying gardening. We trust people based on the strangest, more arbitrary things, none of which have any bearing on whether or not you are inherently good. The Hegartys have no idea what we are capable of. No one does.”

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth has everything I want from a domestic thriller: love, loss, and betrayal; secrets, death, and lies; suspense, twists, and turns. Hepworth’s unique use of POV provided readers with dramatic irony without giving too much away, and the conclusion left me sufficiently chilled, yet satisfied.

Synopsis:
Gabe and Pippa love their cottage on the coast. They live close to family, their neighbors are lovely, and their beautiful home is a mere walk away from their daughters’ school, the surf, and the local restaurant. It’s their perfect house, their perfect chance to start over after moving from the city. There’s only one problem: The Drop.
Right outside their backdoor lives the tall cliffs that overlook the ocean, an unfortunately popular spot where people come to end their lives, dropping hundreds of feet into treacherous, rocky waters. Since moving to the cottage, Gabe has successfully saved numerous people from the drop, spending hours literally talking them off the ledge. He’s turned into a hometown hero, becoming friendly with the police and doing interviews with the local paper. Until he fails.
One night, Pippa watches from the kitchen window as Gabe approaches their most recent visitor, having already alerted the police and ushering the girls into the family room. But instead of his usual routine, Pippa sees Gabe and the woman begin to argue, and when she glances away, the woman jumps, leaving Gabe on the edge of the cliff, hands reaching out to grab her.
Suddenly Pippa and Gabe’s perfect life is shattered, with old cracks in their marriage resurfacing and questions of innocence whispering in the backs of everyone’s mind. And when Pippa discovers Gabe knew the victim, she starts to wonder if his hands were reaching to save Amanda, or pushing her off.
Told from Pippa’s present perspective and Amanda’s point of view leading up to The Drop as well as what she sees from the afterlife, Hepworth weaves a shocking and thrilling story that leaves Pippa questioning everything, even her supposed soulmate.

Thoughts:
I absolutely loved this book. From the very first chapter I was hooked, and when the point of view shifted to the victim’s perspective from the afterlife, I was sold. Having the dramatic irony provided by Amanda’s afterlife observations paired with Pippa’s frantic, existential spiral made the story that much more compelling. I enjoyed both narrators, and found myself sympathizing for both their situations, despite being on opposite sides.
The gasp-worthy reveals were perfectly balanced with moments of domestic normalcy, and even twists set up from the beginning were executed so well that I was still surprised when they happened. I loved the Australian setting, as well as Pippa’s family as the cast of side-characters.
The Soulmate is my first Sally Hepworth read, but I will definitely be back for more. For fans of Gillian Flynn, Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen, and Geneva Rose, this twisty, psychological, domestic thriller is a heart-pounding read.

PUB DAY BOOK REVIEW: The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Moods: secrets, murder, betrayal, love, family

Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this ARC!

This book was twisty, and I couldn't put it down! I fell in love with the characters, Pippa and her family are charming. The two little girls are so cute. Gabe is handsome and interesting. I thought I had this book figured out, but I didn't. I was intrigued by their cottage on the cliff, the cliff that is a popular suicide spot, and Gabe, who can talk them down and of the cliff... then one day Gabe can't save a girl. Did she jump? Did he push her? This is definitely one to pick up!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller by a favorite, Sally Hepworth - 5 stars!

Pippa and Gabe have moved to their dream house with their two young daughters. They didn't realize that the cliff behind their house was called The Drop, and was a popular place for people to jump to their death. Gabe was becoming known as a hero because he had talked down quite a few people since they moved in. But when a woman was on the cliff one evening, Pippa watched her fall from inside their home. When it turns out that Gabe knew the woman and didn't tell the police the truth, it's just the start of the questions.

Sally Hepworth has done it again and written a twisty thriller that you won't be able to put down. I loved the different points of view of both Pippa and Amanda, the dead woman, as we learn all the secrets and backstories. There's a central theme running through both women's lives and marriages of loyalty and fidelity, although at what cost? Don't miss this one! As an unsolicited aside, if you aren't on Sally Hepworth's newsletter email list, you must change that! Not sure I've ever met an author, or any woman, who is so honest along with her trademark dark humor.

I don't want to give anything away so I will just say that there were many twists & turns in this book that kept you guessing the whole time. It is full of suspense & gasps. The characters are interesting as is the author's choice of having different points of view. Highly recommend this book!

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the gifted ARC. Officially out today!

When Gabe, a local hero (known for preventing people from jumping to their death) fails to stop a woman jumping off the cliff, things take a turn, leading his wife to question everything.

If you’re craving a domestic thriller with familial drama, look no further. I totally binged this in two days! Read if you love:

Short chapters w/ cliffhangers (no pun intended)
Page-turning twists
Multiple POV’s
Now vs Then
Morally grey characters

Totally a book you can grab and binge by the pool or beach!

Pippa, Gabe and their 2 daughters seem like the quintessential happy family until the layers of their story unfold revealing what's really going on inside.

We start at their beautiful cliff side home where there are some unfortunate suicide attempts. However, Gabe is always able to remain calm and somehow talk them back from jumping until one day he is not. He reports to the police that he does not know the woman that plunged to her death and that she did so as he tried to grab her back, but Pippa begins to doubt that he was grabbing her and thinks maybe he pushed her, but why?

Pippa and Gabe fell head over heels for each other and have always had such a great physical relationship as well. Even when they have some low times in their marriage, they always have that to help keep them close. Pippa can't imagine that he would do something like push someone to their death since he is also such an awesome father to their 2 little girls.

As the story moves on, more secrets are revealed that all seem to revolve around Gabe. Some on a personal level and some in a professional manner at his job. It turns out that the woman that jumped is Amanda, Gabe's boss's wife and he knew exactly who she was even though he claimed he did not.

Each time a little nugget of information is revealed surrounding Amanda's death and/or Gabe's past, it is always something that I did not see coming and would often say out loud "Whaaaat??" I did not even see the final twist coming and it kept me interested the entire time trying to piece together what was happening. Sally Hepworth is a great thriller writer that I enjoy!

This might be my favourite Sally Hepworth novel. I loved the suspense and all the twists. I don’t want to give away many details. I went into this one without any idea what it was about and I’m so glad I did. The story flows well throughout - the pacing and tension were well written. I was hooked from page one and I couldn’t wait to see how everything ended. All along I just kept thinking ‘WHY would anyone buy a house beside a cliff known as a suicide spot?’ Right? I highly recommend this one!

Happy Publication Day! Sally Hepworth’s latest novel, The Soulmate will keep you on the edge of your seat (or cliff)!
Told in alternating perspectives between two of the characters- Amanda (Before and After) and Pippa (Now and Then). The premise is a couple who buys their dream home, a cottage in a coastal town. This cottage is on the edge of a cliff with a sinister reputation for being a spot where people decide to end their lives. Pippa and her spouse, Gabe live in the mysterious cottage with their two young daughters. Gabe has taken it upon himself to counsel would-be jumpers to recognize that life is worth living until the day his words do not help. From the window Pippa witnesses a strange interaction between Gabe and the mysterious woman who decides to jump anyway or was she pushed?!
This was a quick read for me because I could not put it down. I had the added benefit of reading it while I was actually on the beach. Great character development and unexpected twists! (I have to add how much I enjoyed the personalities of Gabe and Pippa’s daughters. They brought a little laughter into the story for me.)
THANK YOU to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth was my first book by this author. She has a few more out, but this book came up as an option in a monthly service I belong to. I chose it and I'm glad I did. I have a few thoughts I would like to share with you.

The story was pretty good. It was one that I found a little bit unbelievable in parts. One of the characters was very forgiving of her husband's indiscretions and we are made to believe another wife took her life over an indiscretion of her husband. I found each story a little hard to swallow. As the story worked out, I was better able to grasp the reasoning. I did like the premise of the story. That caught my interest right away.

The character development had me a little confused. I didn't understand the actions of some of them. Mental illness definitely plays a part in this book. I'm not sure where the line between sane and insane is drawn. Love in its many forms is foremost in this book.

I could not believe how this book ended and the twist I didn't see coming! The author ties up the ending of this book very well. It was sad and beautiful at the same time. If you love the highs and lows of love relationships, business dealings that sometimes go wrong and a good mystery with suspense, I think this book will cover all of that. Until next time…Happy Reading!

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from #St.Martin'sPress, #SallyHepworth, and #Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.