Member Reviews
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth!
This is the first book I've read from this author and let me tell you, I thought it was amazing!!! Are you looking for adventure, mystery and even some thrills? This book will not leave you hanging!
Gabe and Pippa have been married for years and recently moved into their beautiful new house next to a cliff .... an extremely dangerous drop. Visitors to the cliff tend to jump, or arrive wanting to until Gabe becomes famous in town for helping prevent people from chosing so. Until one day a mysterious woman appears. Gabe runs to help her away from the ledge but soon enough she falls......or is she pushed? The Soulmate tells the story of love, betrayal, misconception, trust, marriage, secrets and so much more from the point of view of Gabe, his wife Pippa and Amanda, the woman who "jumped".
I really enjoyed the authors use of past-present and alternate character views. The story while full of excitment and mystery flowed so extremely well and just when you think you know what is happening or where it is going, you really have no idea. Excellent!!!
This thriller held my attention and kept me turning the pages, but too much of it felt inauthentic or off-putting for me to recommend it highly.
I received a complimentary ARC of this excellent novel from Netgalley via St. Martin's Press and the author Sally Hepworth. This was a novel that could make you stop and re-assess your own mental health. I felt compelled to miss sleep rather than postpone the end of this suspenseful tale. I always enjoy Sally Hepworth - with The Soulmate I learned something new through her.
Iโm going to have to give the author kudos for writing a story that completely kept me engaged throughout the complete book. I literally went through many emotions and thoughts and ideas andโฆ..well, I just had to keep reading to figure out what the characters were up to!
What intriguing, peculiar and strange characters wrapped up in a totally incredible story!
To sum it up:
You need to get The Soulmate and read it.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐
๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ก
๐๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ซ: ๐๐ญ. ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐งโ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ
๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐: ๐.๐.๐๐๐๐
For me, Sally Hepworth has become synonymous with domestic thrillers. She writes about flawed characters in their relationships with partners, families, neighbors, and coworkers. And of course, there is always the twist of a mystery to add suspense!
In ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐, Gabe and Pippa are living in their dream home with their two beautiful girls. But the house happens to be near a cliff that plummets to the ocean below - in fact, many have come here to jump to their death.
Gabe has actually talked several would-be jumpers down. But on this particular night, Pippa witnesses Gabe interact with a woman - a woman who jumped - or did she?
What follows is a spiral into Gabe and Pippaโs marriage - infidelity, obsession, and mental illness. They have ensnared another couple into their circle of chaos, and the results are twisted, terrifying, and deadly.
It begs the question of what you would do for your soulmate, and when you have gone too far. This is a chilling read, and the audiobook is done very well - highly recommend it.
Thank you @stmartinspress for a gifted ebook and @macmillanaudio for a complimentary audiobook.
A solid psychological thriller from Sally Hepworth. Just the right amount of twists & turns, complete with a last-minute shocker, "The Soulmate" is a great beach read or a cozy choice when curling up at night. I thought the characters development was good & they were relatable. I enjoyed the Australian setting as well as the dual point-of-view narration. I definitely could not have predicted the final pages of this one, which is everything I hope for in a thriller!
A book full of twists, it kept me guessing. I loved the character development and the multiple points of view.
The Soulmate
A seemingly happy family lives near a very well known cliff where people have jumped to their death. Gabe, has been able to talk several people away from jumping. Then there is the one he couldnโt talk down. His wife looked up and saw his hand stretched out. Did he push the woman? Was he reaching her?
This book is told from the perspective of Amanda and Pippa in a past and present narrative. The chapters are very short and the story shifts constantly. I was definitely taken by surprise with some of the plot twists.
This book is part mystery, part a journey through marriage. I was hoping for more mystery but nonetheless it was a good read!
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin Press for this ARC in exchange
I picked up this book solely because of the author, Sally Hepworth. I knew nothing of the plot. That is my favorite way to read a book where everything is a surprise. If you do the same, you won't be disappointed. If that isn't good enough for you, keep reading for a description and more detailed review (but it might be a mistake). Gabe and Pippa are raising their daughters in a cliffside home. It is idyllic, except for that nasty cliffside where suicidal people go to end their lives. However, the charismatic Gabe always talks them down, until one fateful night. This story is told from two viewpoints, both female, and two points in time; before and after. It touches on mental illness, suicide, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and infidelity. The author is a magician with descriptions. You are there in the location with the characters. She keeps most of her surprises hidden, letting just a few go, so you feel like you know what is coming, even though you don't. An excellent read that I had a hard time putting down.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy. My opinion is my own.
What a ride this one was!
This type of thriller is more of my style leaning towards a domestic thriller.
I also loved the different timelines. The short chapters made it hard to put down. I really needed to know if and what Gabe did or was it even Gabe?
This book had a ton of secrets and twists and I was all here for it!
My favorite Sally Hepworth book to date! I was hooked from the very beginning and with all of the perspective and timeline changes, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. If you're new to Sally Hepworth's books, I definitely recommend this one as a starting place! If you're familiar with her books, I think you're going to love this one!
Rating: 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5!)
Synopsis: Gabe, Pippa and their two daughters live on the coast, in a beautiful house near the edge of a cliff that has become a popular place for people to end their lives. Recently, Gabe has become known for calmly talking people away from the ledge, but one night, he doesn't. Pippa later finds out that Gabe knew the victim and she starts to question whether the woman jumped or whether she was pushed. And so begins a story of marriage, betrayal and secrets about people who were once thought to be each other's soulmates.
I finished this one is less than 48 hours and I have a feeling it'll make my list of top thrillers for this year. It'll be out on Tuesday so grab a copy! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my early copy!
Thank you to Sally Hepworth, St. Martinโs press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This story is told from multiple POVs. Pippa now and then and Amanda before and after. The chapters are short, twisty and make it hard to put down.
Pippa and Gabe have bought their dream house in a coastal town outside of Melbourne. Their house backs up to a cliff know as the drop. They have warned their two young girls to stay away from there. Gabe has become known in the small town as a local who is able to talk people out of jumping. Then one night, it doesnโt work and a woman plummets to her death. Pippa sees Gabe with his hands outstretched looking almost as if he pushed her. He claims he tried to grab her as she jumped. Things are further complicated when it turns out Pippa and Gabe both knew the woman, Amanda Cameron. She was the wife of Gabeโs wealthy former employer, Max Cameron.
Everyone has secrets in this book and each chapter reveals a little more. It was entertaining and suspenseful.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5175730012
Loved it!
Since this is a thriller, there's not too much that can be said without spoilers, but I'll just say that I absolutely love Hepworth's writing. Her books are so immensely readable, with the perfectly paced reveals and twists that have me reading half the book before I realized what happened.
The ending left me slightly unsatisfied, just because it didn't feel like it matched to all the build up, but I enjoyed the journey to get to that point nonetheless.
Definitely recommend for a fun, quick-paced thriller.
The story starts off interesting. I liked other novels by this same author. Instead, it goes completely off the rails and is just an exercise in dumb and weak women being so happy a man looked at them that they overlook literally every red flagโฆor pink flagโฆor flag.
I am so tired of the use of omniscient dead person POV to explain what is happening because the POV of the characters is practically idiotic.
The knowledge of mental illness is practically nilโฆto the point of being offensive. Iโm giving a 2 star review just for the premise. The lack of payoff keeps it from going above that.
ARC. Thank you Netgalley. This book comes out on Tuesday (4/4) so you should grab your copy when you can. I loved the different POV of this one and the marriage premise. There were some definite twists I didnโt see coming especially toward the end which I did enjoy. Some parts were a little slower than me but a good book.
3.5*
The soulmate was GOOD! Not exactly what I was expecting but definitely a book that keeps you in the mystery & has you asking yourself questions. It definitely had me trying to figure out how these peoples lives got so tangled, twisted, & dare I say mangled ๐ซข
I read this in 24 hrs and as my second book by Hepworth, I have found that I really love her writing style! Her thrillers are very fast-paced, engrossing, and I appreciate that she leaves little reveals throughout the book versus making her readers wait until the very end for one big twist.
At the heart of this book lies a story of murder, marriage, love and loss. I appreciated the dual timelines and dual perspectives that all aligned and came together at the end to reveal the full story. Hepworthโs writing was almost poetic at times, which Iโm always drawn to in any genre of book. I also appreciated a few major themes throughout regarding mental health and the complexity of relationships. Overall this was an unputdownable thriller that just when you think you know whatโs going on, guess again! I definitely recommend and canโt wait to read more by this author!
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martinโs Press for this eARC!
A gripping new work that I am excited to purchase to add to my library! I loved the dual points of view of Anna and Pippa. The plot of this psychological thriller is fast-paced and twisty. I can not wait to read more books by Sally Hepworth. Thank you for allowing me to review The Soulmate!
Whew, this is one of those books where the more you know, the more you realize how much you don't know. I was hooked from the first page, and couldn't put it down. It's about marriage and trust and mental illness, and so much more. There were few things to like about the characters, and one I was ready to push over the cliff myself, yet I still felt a sense of empathy for many of them, which really brought a sense of fullness to the story. And with big twists coming right up until the end, it's 100% a page-turning thriller. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance digital copy!
Ya girl canโt resist a Sally Hepworth read! I have loved everything she has wrote, Iโve read them all! She delivered on a great thriller yet again. I enjoyed the short chapters, multiple timelines, multiple points of view. It made for a quick and intriguing read.
There was a romance but to this novel, which I quite enjoyed. I am not usually a romance gal, but I enjoyed her story telling of the characters love for each other and what people will do for love. And how love can be so blind.
I greatly enjoyed this read and would recommend it to anyone!
Thank you Net Galley for the read, in exchange for an honest opinion!