I feel like I can not write a summary of this book without giving anything away. What I can do is tell you to RUN, not walk, and grab a copy of this book when it comes out in April! I absolutely loved it and read it very fast. Super twisty with likeable characters. I am a huge Sally Hepworth fan and this book is no different - I am excited there are more of her books on my TBR. I would also recommend this for a book club pick! Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book - all opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sally Hepworth for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for the Soulmate coming out April 4, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

There’s a cliff with a long drop. Married couple Gabe and Pippa’s dream Victorian home is situated in a quaint coastal town in Australia. But their perfect home holds something very sinister. The tall cliffs have become the spot for people to end their lives. Gabe comes to their rescue, literally talking them off the ledge. Until one night he doesn’t.

When Pippa discovers Gabe knew the victim, the questions spiral...Did the victim jump? Or did Gabe push her?

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

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I loved it! It was slightly unhinged and there was a lot going on with the characters. It went from the present to the past. It’s told in different points of view. The supernatural aspect was a little bit surprising since the rest of the story was based in reality, but I thought it worked well with this story. I enjoyed the different points of view though. The characters aren’t really the most likable people but I loved the story and writing. It was an entertaining book.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers featuring marriage!

Meh.

This book was okay. I had it figured out relatively quickly. There isn’t much character development. The suspense is very mediocre, as well. But the story line was good. I liked how the story progressed and the before/after POV’s going on in it.

There’s a cliff in Australia where people go to end it all, & instead they find a man who gives them hope.

Gabe & Pippa’s marriage has had more than its share of ups & downs, but now that they’ve settled into their cottage by the sea with their two little girls, their lives seem to be evening out - Gabe has found his calling helping suicidal people that come to the cliff by their home. Until one night Gabe goes outside to help & a woman plunges over the edge. Pippa doesn’t know what to think when it turns out that the woman wasn’t a stranger.

This book had four different viewpoints & focused on two married couples, revealing the subtle nuances that shape relationships & divulging pieces of the past in short chapters that left me wanting to read more.

There was a point towards the middle where the toxicity seemed irreversible, but this author is the queen of unorthodox stories & the ending pulled everything together amazingly! Definitely reading more from Sally Hepworth in the future.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for an ARC.

I really wanted to love this book. The writing was engaging, but from near the beginning, the author used a narrative device that I just generally dislike. Mild spoiler, but there's a character who dies in the first or second chapter who then narrates chapters throughout the rest of the book. I have a personal pet peeve about using paranormal elements in books that are meant to be fully realistic. Beyond that, it was easy to determine from early on a good portion of the mystery which left few surprises. The main exception to the lack of surprises was a final reveal near the end that seemed to come out of no where. The characters were well written and easy to engage with, and the interpersonal aspects were interesting. As a thriller though, I was disappointed.

If you are expecting a thriller (like I was), you will be sorely disappointed. In that regard, it's just plain boring. This book was an interesting look at marriage and what goes on behind closed doors. There are two marriages at play: Gabe and Pippa and Max and Amanda. I don't want to give away who Max and Amanda are and why their POVs are important, but I will say that it is surprising how quickly your view on both of these couples shifts throughout the story. I thought the "twists" were fairly predictable and I felt like the ending was anticlimactic and a bit sad.

3.5 stars! This was fine but I also finished it like 4 days ago and it took me a minute to remember what it was about when writing this review.

Sally Hepworth always delivers a reliable domestic thriller and this was no different. Really quick paced and twisty, alternating timelines. I haven’t read a ton of books with one of the present day timelines being told from the person who’s been murdered, so I thought that was unique.

I also was worried that this was going to skew into some irresponsible conflation of mental illness with crime, but I appreciated the additions Hepworth included to make sure that wasn’t the case.

3.5 rounded up.

I did enjoy this book, I found it fast paced and it held my attention, especially with the short chapters.
I love a multi pov book, with past and present, as well as before and after thrown into the story (iykyk)
dysfunctional family drama, as well as a small romance thrown into the story. I like how it began with the cliffhanger and how it ended up coming together.
I thought the ending could’ve been very different. I wasn’t a big fan of how it ended.

The Soulmate
Sally Hepworth

This book publishes on April 4, 2023 - I got my copy from Netgally - thank you kindly for the ARC copy!

Really enjoyed this book! Loved the mystery and how they address particular situations. I loved the true Soulmates which was a surprise at the end for me. I also loved the end and how the book came together.


✭ ✭ ✭ ✭/5

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My Thoughts:

In alternating voices, the reader follows the characters in The Soulmate, from Gabe and Pippa to Max and Amanda. Their lives are linked, but not in a good way.

When one of them goes over The Drop, the famous place where suicides often take place, questions remain. What happened exactly? Where did the missing USB port end up? What secrets will change everything for them?

An intense read that went back and forth in time, this book gripped me tightly and earned 5 stars.

4.5 stars
I devoured this book. A quick, suspenseful read, and I loved how with all the twists and turns, more of the story for revealed and loose ends tied up.
Gabe and Pippa live in a cottage near "The Drop," a local spot for those who want to end their lives. Gabe has become locally famous for saving the potential jumpers, but at the beginning of the book he seems to fail.
The rest of the story unfolds in chapters either told by Pippa, Gabe's wife, or Amanda, the woman who died. Both women's chapters cover now and before, giving backstory that explains connections. It seems like it might be hard to follow but it is not at all.
This book is a fantastic examination of marriage, mental illness, betrayal, honesty, and what people are capable of related to their jobs, relationships, and families. As each new layer or bit of info was revealed, things that had happened made more and more sense.

Holy smokes! Sally Hepworth has done it again with The Soulmate! Talk about a twisted ride full of secrets that keeps you questioning everything and turning the pages as fast as you can!

What appealed to you the most in this book?

I absolutely love the way Sally Hepworth can write about family dynamics and dysfunctional relationships, especially when it comes to the relationships between spouses. This was a clever, deep and at times darker psychological thriller, but I was surprised to discover that there was so much more than just the main plot. Each character had their own story as they were dealing with their past and mental health issues. I was in awe with the way Hepworth was able to create multilayered characters and then weave their stories together with the main plot while keeping me on the edge of my seat the WHOLE TIME.

How was the pace?

I read this with Kaley and we both were flying through the pages as fast as we could. This really is a book you won’t want to set down, and I think Kaley said it best when she messaged me saying that each chapter is its own mini cliffhanger.

Do you recommend this book?

I highly recommend this captivating and masterfully written story. You won’t want to put it down, so don’t make any plans once you pick this book up!

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley, for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

In The Soulmate, we find the seemingly perfect couple of Gabe and Pippa who live in a beautiful home that is unfortunately located next to The Drop, a cliff that has become infamous as the sight of many suicides. Gabe has made it a personal mission, however, to help individuals who present to The Drop, and has actually talked numerous individuals from jumping and sealing their fate. This all ends one night, however, when a woman does jump, and the story unfolds coincidentally (or not) how this woman plays an important role in Gabe and Pippa's life.

This was a very quick and suspenseful read. I couldn't wait to figure out how the story played out. I hate to give too much information away because of the twists and turns, and I definitely don't want to spoil the book! I liked the short chapters because the story flew by. I also did not see many of the twists coming. I do feel like some of the story was a bit far fetched, and wonder if this is a book that has lasting power in my mind. While it was entertaining to read, I worry it's not one I'm going to remember a year down the road. I give this story a 3.75/5, and I do look forward to more books from this author because it is obvious that she can write a tale that keeps me on the edge of my seat and very entertained.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

Giving this one 3.5 stars, so rounding up to four.
I LOVED the short chapters. This was fast paced and kept me wanting to turn the pages. I enjoyed the dual POV, as well as the before and the after, as this gave an interesting view as the beginning starts off with a cliffhanger. There’s a bit of romance mixed in with little surprises. The ending was not what I was expecting, which is good! However, I felt like some of the chapters were very repetitive & for that I lost a little bit of interest, in turn taking away some stars.

Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for this advance copy. This is the 4th book I’ve read from Sally Hepworth, and it might be my favorite. The action pulls you in from the very first chapter! Hepworth’s murderous domestic suspense novel is pure page turning entertainment.

Two couples believe they are married to their soulmates. The only thing asked in their marriages was that they would be faithful. This story is told by the wives in alternating chapters before and after an apparent suicide, or was it? Their lives intertwine because of their husbands and their secrets both personal and in business.
This is a very good psychological mystery.

The perfect bingeable mystery/thriller! Lots of twists and turns to keep you intrigued and dying to know what happens next. I loved the dual POV and dual timeline chapters (which were also super short!) - this story dives into marriage and how far you’ll go to protect the ones you love.

I really enjoyed this one. The pacing was excellent, the multiple POVs were easy to distinguish, and the twists didn't feel completely out of left field. I couldn't put it down once I got into it!

This book contained a very interesting, packed plot - full of lies, secrets, family drama, dysfunctional relationships, illegal dealings with coworkers, and mental health issues. Most of the characters for me were not likable (who also made terrible decisions!) and although the synopsis sounded like a thriller, it turned out to be more of a family drama. I usually don’t read many Sally Hepworth books because of this, but the cover and synopsis really caught my eye and I thought it may have been different!

I recommend this book if you enjoy reading:
- Dysfunctional family dramas
- Suspense and twists
- Betrayal
- Short chapters
- Different POVs - Before & After, Now & Then
- A POV from the victim (while she’s dead and alive)

A real life look at the highs and lows of marriage and the rationale behind the choices that are made. This book is well beyond what I anticipated. Although this is my first Sally Hepworth book it will not be my last!