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 couldn’t 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. Martin’s 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 doesn’t 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 Gabe’s 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 flag…or pink flag…or 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 nil…to the point of being offensive. I’m 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 didn’t 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 🫢

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. Hepworth’s writing was almost poetic at times, which I’m 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 what’s going on, guess again! I definitely recommend and can’t wait to read more by this author!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s 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 can’t resist a Sally Hepworth read! I have loved everything she has wrote, I’ve 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!

I highly recommend The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth for anybody that likes a good twisty domestic thriller. Told between two point of views, the action and story carries us between two timelines that blend together with a satisfying meeting at the middle. That is when all secrets are revealed and we get to the desert of the story. At first I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy Amanda's before/ after pov but I think it was well done and written in a way that it adds a unique twist to the story. Compulsive and addictive read.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read and review honestly an advanced digital copy.

I finished this incredible read in one day and all I can say is WOW! I truly thought I had it all figured out, but I definitely did not put some of the puzzle pieces together correctly. And honestly? I'm kind of glad that I didn't. I so enjoyed the twists that I totally saw coming, but those that checked the heck out of me? Yeah, so much better!

Absolutely BRILLIANT!!!! 👏🏻

I could not read this book fast enough. I just had to know what the heck was going to happen.. then I realized I was only 10 percent in… I was that hooked!

I mean I just started the book and was already telling everyone this was a book they HAD to read. I was so bummed it wasn’t a buddy read because I wanted
…no NEEDED someone to talk to everytime a new piece information dropped.

Gabe and Pippa move into their dream home. There is a beautiful cliff and they soon learn is known as “The Drop”. It attracts a lot of people and not for its beauty. Gabe becomes a savior, almost like a guardian angel on earth . People come with intentions to end their life but he is able to talk many people off the edge and save save them… all but one.

The couple soon discover who the victim is. As more and more questions come up.. more secrets are revealed… the question begs to be asked…was her death actually an accident!?

I tell you I am not exaggerating when I say as I read this book,I was jaw dropped as I got more pieces to this puzzle. I did not see the twists coming. This book is a rollercoaster and let me tell you.. you want to get on the ride.

This thriller is addicting and an absolutely exceptional. You can expect so much, there is marriage, friendship, betrayal, shady business, heartbreaking effect of mental illness and the strength of family and community.

Do I really need to say more?

This is available on April 4th. Make sure to preorder a copy because you need this on your shelf.

Thank you so much Netgalley, St.Martins Press and Sally Hepworth or this eARC!

This domestic suspense novel follows a couple, Pippa and Gabe, who move with their kids into a house on a cliff overlooking the ocean. The cliff is a well-known suicide spot, and Gabe has made it his mission to talk people down from the edge, even becoming known locally for succeeding at it. When a woman falls to her death and Gabe becomes cagey and evasive, Pippa begins to question whether Gabe had something to do with it.

The story is told through multiple perspectives in a before-and-now style in short chapters, which creates excellent pacing. I was intrigued by the couple’s backstory, as well as the story of the woman who dies. Even though I could guess at some things, the reveals are mostly surprising and timed with devastating precision. The details that come to light make the reading worthwhile.

Though a lot did work for me, not everything did. For one, the portrayal of Gabe's mental illness felt a bit cliché and oversimplified. I’m not sure why it would have taken so long to get to his actual diagnosis when he was exhibiting rather clear symptoms that even his wife could see. Also, I was confounded by Pippa’s denial and willingness to overlook her husband’s issues and infidelity. She’s a lawyer and certainly wouldn’t have been so easily snowed. I wish Pippa had been stronger throughout, and that the author had found other ways to keep Gabe and Pippa enmeshed.

Sally Hepworth is a master of writing domestic suspense, and this is one of the strongest novels of hers that I’ve read. Overall, I found this to be a compelling read and would recommend it, though take care if you have any sensitivity around the topic of suicide.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another stellar book from Sally Hepworth! The story is told from two points of view, Pippa and Amanda, and moves back and forth between the present and the past. Amanda’s perspective is very different, interesting and unique. There’s marital drama, suspense, secrets, lies, mental illness and suicide. On some level, both Pippa and Amanda are grappling with a question of what they will tolerate in their marriages and how far they will go to support their husbands. This book keeps you engaged until the end because you just have to know the truth of what really happened that day at The Drop.

The Soulmate was a great twisty, shocking read! I loved that is told from 2 wives perspectives. Both of them really love their husbands but obviously one of them is not what he seems. I went back and forth all the way to the last couple chapters.

This was my first Sally Hepworth novel and I have to say I enjoyed it. I don't know if I would label it as a thriller but more of a honest picture of a marriage and the downfalls and who really is your soulmate.
Super fast read and I will read more of her books in the future.