4/5

“Funny how love can remain, despite everything.”

ARC BOOK REVIEW: The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth
PUB DATE: April 4, 2023

I want to first start by saying thank you to Sally Hepworth, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pippa and Gabe live in a cottage that so happens to be next to a cliffside that is known for individuals showing up who want to end their lives. But since Pippa and Gabe have moved in, Gabe has been able to save every person who has shown up to “the drop”, that is until one day he doesn’t. When the tragedy of life is lost, the police investigate a little bit longer than usual which has people wondering, it was the death an accident or was intentional. Was there more to the story that Gabe, Amanda, Pippa, and Max wanted to believe?

This was my very first book by Sally Hepworth and the Soulmate was done in a very unique and creative way. I love how Hepworth used the “past and present” perspectives along with the “after” perspective of Amanda. I haven’t encountered a book that has this perspective of an “after”, and how she had Amanda looking down at the situation unfolding presently was pure genius. I ate this book up in two days and yes, it grabbed my attention, keeping me interested, unfortunately, the ending fell shorter than “the drop”. I thought the conclusion was poorly crafted; she built up such an incredible plot only to arrive at an anti-climactic end, in short, it was bland and generic; this is why it lost a star for me. Nonetheless, if you want a fast-paced novel that makes you wonder about the actual truth that lies in a dark time, then this one is definitely for you. It was a great quick suspense thriller.

It's been a while since I've read a Domestic Thriller and I really enjoyed this one. There are dual POVs and nonlinear timelines.

The first POV is Pippa, a lawyer, mom of two, and wife of Gabe. The second POV is of Amanda, photographer and housewife who goes over the edge of a cliff while talking to Gabe.

Uncovering the truth from the lies, this read is fast paced while exploring relationships, motives, and deceptions. My favorite character was Amanda and the relationship she had with her husband Max. The relationship between Pippa and Gabe was stressing me out but I absolutely loved Pippa as a mom.

My gripe with this one was the feeling of getting beaten over the head with descriptions of how attractive Gabe is. I GET IT, HE'S HOT.

Holding my full attention from the first chapter until the epilogue this book is easily one of the most unputdownable ones I've read so far this year.

Sally Hepworth has certainly earned her reputation for writing unputdownable thrillers and she's done it again!

Loved the dual POV in this twisty thriller that really left me guessing and left my JAW ON THE FLOOR.

I won't say much more to give anything away, but know there are SO MANY surprises!

Fast fun read! A thriller about marriage, secrets, and betrayal.

"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."

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Sally Hepworth, and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I was shocked at how much I enjoyed this! I've seen Sally Hepworth's books everywhere, but I always get wary about mystery/thriller authors who are super popular because sometimes I feel that the books can be repetitive. However, The Soulmate felt like a fresh read that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading with a few genuine twists I didn't predict. I haven't read a book so quickly in a few months; I was hooked from the beginning, and I was truly drawn into the world of Pippa, Gabe, Max, and Amanda. I liked the way the story was told, going both between tenses and between narrators. It helped to reveal the story and its many layers in different ways that kept me guessing throughout. For a domestic thriller, I thought it was well done, and I enjoyed getting to see the different sides of everyone's stories. I do wish Hepworth would have explained some plot points better, as there were a couple of loose ends that the story would have benefitted from fleshing out a bit more, but none took away from my overall reading and enjoyment of the story. I definitely look forward to checking out her other works now!

Pippa and Gabe live near The Drop, a popular suicide spot, and that Gabe isn't able to save this mysterious woman one day. Pippa begins to question it, which she should.

But really what this book is about is marriage, and how it looks from the outside versus the inside. The book is told in alternating POVs, between Pippa and Amanda (the woman from The Drop), as well as alternating timeliness, before versus after. This book is mostly about the characters, their secrets, and how everything is connected, the death at The Drop just happens to be the event that sets the path to reveal in motion.

Another twisty thriller from Sally Hepworth. She really knows how to create atmosphere and tension. I could nearly hear the waves crashing at the Drop Off and picture the craggy cliffs outside Pippa's home. I always appreciate the subplots in her books that seemingly separate each other only to come to a satisfying cathartic climax. Once again she kept me guessing until the end. It certainly was a white knuckler. I look forward to her next offering!

Another good story from Sally Hepworth! I can count on her to write a page-turning domestic suspense book. I particularly liked the story being told from the two points of view, interesting choice and it worked! (Trying not to give anything away!)

4.5 stars rounded up

In The Soulmate, author Sally Hepworth has crafted a complex story of marriage and murder. Told in three timelines—then/before, now, and after—and from two POVs, the main protagonists are strong, determined women with husbands and various relationship troubles. Pippa is a busy estates lawyer married to Gabe, a complicated man who parents their preschool girls Freya and Asha. Amanda is the wife of uber-wealthy businessman Max Cameron. They are child free by choice, and keep fidelity the touchstone of their marriage.
Beginning as a murder mystery, this story also morphs into an exploration of the good versus the difficult sides of marriage, and the complications of parenthood, wealth, and mental illness.
The author’s skill at juggling three timelines and multiple POVs made this domestic drama unfold beautifully with each character becoming more fully fleshed out and multidimensional as the chapters went on.
No spoilers here: I was surprised a couple times, and found the twists and reveals in the last several chapters riveting! The development of a character that is omniscient and who comments from multiple perspectives is particularly effective—you guess which one!
Hepworth is so adept at crafting suspenseful domestic thrillers that I always look forward to her new books, and believe this is one of her best works!!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first Sally Hepworth novel but it certainly won't be my last. I loved the dual point of view on different timelines. The past and the present and how they diverged to make a very thrilling and suspenseful story. Gabe, Pippa, Amanda and Max are such interesting characters with history that played well into the plot. I would recommend this book!

Dear Sally,

You’ve done it again. How absolutely brilliant of you.

Love,

Amanda

Do not - I repeat - do not schedule ANYTHING when this book is published. I can guarantee it will soak up every bit of attention you have and then some.

This is a beautifully written book about the ups and downs of marriages. It’s also about murder and the lies we tell ourselves and the secrets we keep.

I LOVE that there was a twist at the beginning, middle, and end. I didn’t have to read the entire book only to find the big reveal within the last few pages. I was treated to the delightfully twisted throughout the novel. I batted 1 for 3 on the twists. Sally has this genius way of giving you a little, letting you in on the secret, and then revealing the secret in its entirety that has your head bobbing all confidently- I KNEW IT- until she continues and you suddenly stop- wait…WHAT?!

I believe it to be interesting that I walked away from this novel with more insight into the husbands - both Gabe and Max- than I did into the women. Maybe it’s because I identified more with the wives? Maybe it was intentional. Either way, Sally paints a painfully accurate picture of mental health that gives a glimpse into what it is like being married to someone with an illness. I feel, in the actions taken by Pippa - or perhaps her inaction at times - I see her a bit more clearly. Amanda, a bit difficult to understand her motives at times, shines through in her later years with Max.

I’m not going to recap the story. You can read the description. Just know that this is an edge of your seat thriller that will reward your reading time and time again.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital reviewer copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this read. I kept putting off other things to read it and trying to finding small pockets and windows to get back to this story and find out what was going to happen next. This was a unique found family story and mystery all rolled into one and I enjoyed how the story unfolded, and how both Amanda and Pippa were the story tellers from two different vantage points. I was happy that Pippa was able to find the peace that she needed, even though I was a little bummed that Gabe, was alone in the end.

I’ve been seeing nothing but good reviews for this book, so I was really excited for it. I really enjoyed this one! It checked off some of my favorite things in a book - short chapters, multiple POVS, dual timelines and multiple twists that I did not see coming! Highly recommend, especially if you’re looking for a quick read!

✨ BOOK REVIEW ✨

Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Pages: 336
Goodreads: 4.0

Finally out of my reading slump and this was definitely the best way to come back! This book kept me on the edge (LITERALLY!!) the whole time. The author had perfectly placed twists and had me guessing what the heck was going on the whole time. The Soulmate is about the crazy things you do, how long you will turn a blind eye, and what secrets you will keep for the people you love.

A quick two day read and I can officially say, after this book and The Mother-In-Law, Sally Hepworth is an auto-buy author for me! I highly recommend her to anyone that enjoys the Mystery genre.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Pippa and Gabe purchase a new house on the coast with a beautiful view, but what they later find out is that the cliff outside of their kitchen window is called “The Drop” where people go to commit suicide.

Handsome and charming Gabe, can always talk the person off the edge of jumping and is somewhat of a hero in the town for literally saving lives. Until one day a woman shows up and within moments of Gabe talking to her she disappears with his hands stretched out…reaching for her? Pushing her? With no one around to see what happened, Pippa has to trust that her husband is telling her all of the truth.

Thank you for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for a review!

Be sure to add this book to your cart for when it publishes on April 4th and happy reading! 📚

The Soulmate- By Sally Hepworth
Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Happy Pub Day!

Trigger Warning- This Novel contains mental illness and suicide.

🖤 Review

Pippa and Gabe live on a cottage on a cliff known as "the drop". The tall cliffs have become a place where people often jump to end their lives. So often, Gabe comes to their rescuse by talking them off the edge. One particular day, this does not seem to be the case.

This book was filled with twisted dark turns. Really kept me invested with several secrets coming to life. Told in dual points of view from different time periods. Which could get confusing, but in this case, it did not. And it helped the story unfold. Short chapters, which I love. I could see this becoming a movie!

Thank you to netgalley, Salley Hepworth and St.Martins press for allowing me to read this ARC.


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A bit of a slow burn but it definitely kept me wanting to know how and why Amanda died. Was it a suicide? Did Gabe push her? What was he hiding? I absolutely loved the dialogue from Amanda from the dead. It was almost like she was in purgatory awaiting her fate depending on how the events back on earth played out. It was creepy and oh so worth it!

Can someone really be your soulmate if there isn't any trust between you? I was excited about this book - first it's Sally Hepworth and I love her books and secondly, the storyline intrigued me.

This one fell a little flat for me.

Here are the positives from the book - it reads super fast. Hepworth is the queen of twisty novels and there are definitely alot of twists in this one. A few I didn't see coming, which is always a nice surprise as a reader.

This is what I wasn't crazy about with the book - she organizes it by "Before" and "After" from Amanda and Pippa's POV. This back and forth got a little repetitive and cumbersome. It didn't flow as smoothly as it could have. I struggled with Pippa's character - so many red flags with Gabe she ignored and who moves their preschool kids into a house with a cliff that people jump off (not for fun)?? A few aspects of the book were a little unbelievable.

Overall it's not a bad book, just not one of Hepworth's best, in my opinion. Having said that, I still love her writing and will eagerly read her next book.

My thanks to Sally Hepworth, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Gabe and Pippa found their dream home, and were overjoyed to find out they could afford to buy it. This beautiful cottage stands on the top of a cliff in a sleepy coastal town. They worried about their two young daughters venturing near the edge of the cliff, but that could be solved by putting up a fence. What they weren't prepared for was the fact that 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. Then one night a woman comes to the edge of the cliff, and Gabe goes out there. This time he doesn't save her. As more and more facts come out about this woman's death, questions start buzzing through Pippa's mind. Did she really jump or did Gabe push her? Is her soulmate lying.... or even worse, is he a murderer?
I am a huge fan of this author's books. I read every one that she writes. This one was really good, definitely one of my favorites. It was told in the alternating viewpoints of Pippa (then), Pippa (now) and Amanda (now) - Amanda being the person who died on the cliffs. There is a lot of action and suspense, some twists, and of course a really fresh storyline. If you enjoy a good thriller, then you will want to add this to your TBR pile.

3.5 stars

Gabe and Pippa have found their dream home, an adorable cottage on the coast. There’s only one problem, in their backyard is a cliff where many suicides have taken place.

Loving the home and not wanting to give it up they move in. And maybe that was for the best as Gabe seems to be a hero, talking 7 people off the ledge. However one night he’s not so successful and a woman jumps. Or was she pushed? When it comes to light that Gabe knew the victim Pippa is left questioning everything. What really happened that night?

The story is told in multiple timeline and POV, which is something I love. However it was a bit confusing at first as one character is told in now/then and other in before/after. But after a few chapters I got the hang of it and actually enjoyed the back and forth.

Although the chapters are short, the overall pace was more on the slow side. And while I was definitely interested by the story, it wasn’t in a way where I had to keep reading to know what happened. Part of that might have been the fact I didn’t love any of the characters or because to me it was fairly obvious what had happened. There just weren’t a ton of twists and turns to look forward to. It was more focused on the characters and their relationships. So if you’re a fan of character driven, domestic suspense then you should definitely put this on your radar.

Overall, not my favorite by Sally Hepworth but still a decent read!

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the review copy in exchange for an honest review!

“𝑼𝒏𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒆, 𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒊𝒆.”

Sally Hepworth is an auto-buy/read author for me, and I couldn’t wait to dive into her latest book!

Hepworth‘s skill at creating domestic suspense novels is always so good; the action simmers gently until a reveal causes things to overflow. This book is no exception; it starts with a gasp worthy moment as a woman seemingly jumps off a cliff, which has you guessing at everyone’s motives and questioning what characters tell you. The narrative is super intriguing, going back and forth between Pippa and Amanda’s points of view. Both Pippa and Gabe are complicated characters who make mistakes and lean on each other to deal with the consequences of their actions; throughout I couldn’t help but feel very attached to them (could it be because I, too, agree hot dogs from Ikea are so good?). Even as more layers to their marriage are revealed, I still rooted for them. Amanda and Max’s marriage story offers an interesting contrast, especially in the definition of soulmates. Short chapters make for a propulsive and quick read; you can never assume to know the whole story with Hepburn’s writing (things aren’t always as they seem!). I also thought the impact that mental illness can have on a relationship was well portrayed and researched.

The Soulmate is a story of loyalty, infidelity, secrets, mental health, and the messiness of humanity. It highlights the dangers of being a soulmate to someone and letting it consume all of you. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC!