Member Reviews
I have come to love every book sally Hepworth puts out. They are unique and easy to get into. This one was no different. This one had me wondering and questioning throughout and even had me shocked by the end. I liked how it ended (that doesn’t always happen in books), but was hurt and angry at the same time!
Not my fave Sally Hepworth. It didn’t have the taut pacing and tense twists that I usually expect from her. But the concept was interesting and the book a quick read.
I loved the start of this book. Pippa and Gabe are able to buy their dream house on the water that overlooks a cliff. They have a happy marriage and two beautiful children. The atmosphere here is perfect, but we know Sally Hepworth and that all will not be as it seems. To start, Pippa realizes the Cliff if used frequently for people to jump to their deaths. This is a bit of a problem, but fortunately Gabe is good at intervening and talks the desperate from jumping. Until, of course he doesn’t. That person is Amanda. It turns out Amanda was his boss’s wife. He also knew Amanda personally. Well….we all keep secrets.
Ultimately, this book just kept me reading. It is more of a psychological examination of commitment, loyalty, and marriage and what that means to both Pippa and also to Amanda. There were many twists and many I didn’t see coming, but the tension was in imagining inside who each person really was and how this would all play out.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it. Sally Hepworth is an author that is becoming a favorite of mine. I would recommend this page turner for sure.
Thank you NetGalley, Sally Hepworth, and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this book. I always leave reviews of books I read.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.
Interesting story, I liked it.
This book pulled me in immediately! I enjoyed the dual POVs between two women, one dead , one alive. I appreciated that each chapter was short, it made me want to keep reading to see what would happen next. There were so many twists and turns, and I am glad to say I did not see the ending coming.
I feel like I can't say much without giving things away, but I will say that I really enjoyed this mystery/ thriller, and can't wait to read more by Sally Hepworth!
Another hit from the Queen of Domestic Suspense! I flew through this book!
The Soulmate is a character driven domestic suspense that has two POVs: first we have Pipa, wife of Gabe and mom of two little girls who live near the edge of a cliff. Then we have Amanda, the woman who died at the cliff. Pipa has a then and now timeline and Amanda has a before and after death timeline. I found the dual POVs and timelines easy to follow. The characters are well developed; chapters are short and keep you wanting more. The narrative had me captivated with all its twists, some were predictable, some I definitely didn’t see coming but weren’t OTT.
This story explores relationships and the complexities of love and self-discovery. There are some difficult topics addressed throughout this story that I feel Hepworth handled well. Hepworth's thought-provoking writing makes "The Soulmate" a compelling read for fans of emotionally charged domestic suspense, loaded with secrets and betrayals.
Content Warnings: Discussions surrounding suicide, mental illness, adultery, murder and substance abuse and overdose.
Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my DRC.
First, thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC with honesty.
This was my first novel by this author and to be honest, I was always saw them and got curious.
I won't bore with a summary as I worry there might be spoilers unintentionally mentioned for this domestic thriller. Suffice it say, I will definitely be interested in reading another of this person's work. Some of it was a bit unbelievable scenarios, a touch of it felt like a classic thriller set up, and the timelines were an interesting look between the "then" and "now" version's of the characters and who the povs were in general.
I will say the mental illness in this one can possibly triggers those who are sensitive to this particular illness and those effected by it. I was not immune to this but the story did have a point for it so it wasn't done in a negative way but more of an awareness sort. Regardless of all that, the story was a page turner that kept me heavily entertained from start to finish and I only regret not reading this sooner.
My Rating: 4 Stars (rounded up 3.75)
Thank you to author, publisher, and NetGalley for giving me this arc in exchange for my honest review. Sally Hepworth is an auto read (and buy) for me! Always delivers with plot and characters. Couldn’t put this book down. Highly recommend.
Sally Hepworth never fails to deliver on a well written domestic suspense book. The detail that goes into her writing makes you feel like you are sitting at the edge of the cliff that was described a few pages into this story. Her intricate detail is unmatched. However, this one just didn’t really do much for me. I was hoping and expecting more out of the story. I felt like it was a bit unfinished/unresolved. All of that to say, it wasn’t a bad book by any means. Just was not my favorite by her.
Gabe and Pippa believe that they have found the perfect home; a cozy cottage on the edge of a cliff. It's quiet, the view is beautiful, but it is also a place where people come to end their lives. Luckily Gabe has been able to stop many of these poor souls from making a decision to end it all, but then one day he can’t. To make matters worse Gabe knows the jumper, information he doesn’t openly share with the police. As the investigation gets underway Pippa starts to have her own questions.Would Gabe lie? What could he be hiding? Is she really Gabe’s soulmate? Is he her’s?
The Soulmate was a little bit of a letdown for me. I found Gabe and Pippa to be borderline annoying, and their marriage had dysfunctional written all over it. I did like the way in which the story was presented. The reader gets to see the story through the eyes of Pippa as well as Amanda–the woman who died at the cliff–and her perspective as a ghost. I enjoyed Amanda’s sections much more than I did Pippa’s, which made it hard to get through the novel at times. Unfortunately I think the ending is the only thing that surprised me in the whole book, an ending that did fit rather well. Overall The Soulmate was a bit of a letdown.
Sally Hepworth is the queen of domestic suspense, and she knocked it out of the park again. The Soulmate is so good and keeps you guessing and wondering what's coming next! I enjoyed how this book was told by two different characters perspectives and 2 different timelines, then and now. The 2 different timelines really helped to keep you wanting more! This book was so easy to keep engaged in and is definitely a page-turner!!
Thank you, St. Martin's Press, and Net Galley, for a gifted copy in return for my honest review.
"The Soulmate" intricately weaves together multiple points of view of two women, one alive and one dead. This narrative technique enriches the exploration of marriage, secrets, and mental health, offering a nuanced portrayal of the complexities within relationships. The story invites contemplation on the delicate balance between supporting a loved one and self-preservation, as characters grapple with profound questions about loyalty and the limits of enduring commitment.
In conclusion, "The Soulmate" lands in the realm of mediocrity. The narrative neither excels nor disappoints, residing comfortably in a space where nothing stands out, and nothing is notably lacking. The prevailing sentiment after the final chapter might best be described as a nonchalant "Blah," with the added disappointment that the much-anticipated "twist" falls short of expectations, contributing to an overall sense of letdown in an otherwise okay literary journey, earning it 3 stars.
This story revolves around a married couple named Pippa and Gabe. The couple moved to a house overlooking a cliff which is known for people jumping off. The husband has become famous for helping to convince people not to jump. That is until one night when a woman does jump despite Gabe’s help. And it turns out Gabe knew her. What secrets is he hiding?
What I liked - It was fast paced, very quick read. I enjoyed the alternating chapters and dual timelines. There were several surprise reveals throughout which I really liked. I also loved Pippa’s family and the way they cared for her and her girls.
What I didn’t like - Overall, there wasn’t much I didn’t like. I do feel like a couple threads were left hanging and some people escaped punishment in the end. The addition of a ghost character narrating chapters was interesting. At first I didn’t like it, but then I realized it was critical to understanding the back story between several of the characters.
Overall, this was a really good read and I recommend it!
Gabe and Pippa live in a home at the top of a cliff. It has stunning views of the water and unbelievable sunrises and sunsets. It's a dream home, truly. Except... their own bit of paradise is also a popular place for people to commit suicide by jumping off the cliff and onto the rocky edges below.
To help others and prevent further heartache, Gabe has started going out & talking to people as they stand on the cliff. He tries to talk them down from the edge - literally. He's saved multiple people that way and there was even a newspaper article about it. But one day, he talks to a woman on the edge and she doesn't leave with Gabe. She jumps. That's what everyone thinks. Until the truth about Gabe's history with the woman in revealed. Then Pippa starts to wonder whether Gabe pushed the woman.
Pippa will have to do some digging to determine why her husband lied to police and to her about whether he knew the woman.
This is a fast-paced story with an incredible setting. It also has a great plot, but I was able to figure out the ending relatively early in the book.
I listened to this on audio and really enjoyed it. I never knew what was going to happen next and it was really entertaining. This author has been hit or miss for me but I really liked this one!
One of my favorite authors! This was a good twisty suspense about marriage and mental illness and murder. Short chapters from alternating perspectives and time periods, which made it feel a little frantic (in a good way) and fast paced.
Gabe and Pippa live in their dream house which happens to have, right behind it, a cliff with a walking path to a favorite suicide point called "The Drop." Gabe, a stay at home dad, has become known for his skill at talking people down off the cliff, and there have been a few. Then one day a woman jumps while he is talking to her, and Pippa is a witness to it as well. After a time it is revealed that they knew the woman. Did she really jump, or was she pushed?
I did enjoy the twists in this book! I think I will certainly search out her backlog and catch up on all of the amazing thrillers I have missed out on!
3.00 stars
-
TW: Suicide, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Infidelity, Murder
-
The perfect popcorn thriller! If you're looking for a book to read in one sitting, this is out. In The Soulmate, we follow Pippa and Gabe who live at the cottage on the cliff. Gabe has become somewhat of the local hero, saving person after person from jumping to their demise. That is until he doesn't. As Pippa watches from the window, she watches as her husband gets a little too close and a young woman jumps to her death, Pippa starts to question her husband's involvement especially when she finds out that her husband knew the victim.
I loved how this was a situation where Pippa now had more questions than answers. This was a wild ride, what you would imagine to be an open and shut case gets blown way out. I do feel that perhaps there had been a bit too much packed into the plot, and it felt a little rushed. As a reader, I enjoyed all of the twists and the surprises that caught me off guard!
-
I would like to thank NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Sally Hepworth for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This book was published on April 4th 2023
I enjoyed this book. I do feel like it was a bit predictable and took a while to get to the twist. Even with that I couldn't put the book down.
Sally Hepworth always delivers, and The Soulmate keeps readers turning the pages! The dual perspective on this one is particularly captivating.
Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.