Garbled imitation of classic tropes in an ambitious novel that checks a lot of boxes but doesn't come together

The Soulmate starts off with a married couple, Gabe and Pippa, who have moved to a house atop a cliff. It is a hazardous spot where the mentally ill are known to take their lives. Since moving to the house, Gabe meets each potential jumper and talks him or her away from the ledge. This time, a woman falls from the cliff. Only Gabe knew this woman. Did she really jump or was she pushed? And what other secrets will be revealed?

This book was underwhelming primarily as a result of its characters. The Soulmate has two narrators and two timelines (a then and a now timeline). It felt like the author was trying to create morally grey characters, imperfect people; however, the characters were just not likeable.

Thinking back to morally grey or "bad" characters that I loved, they seem to share three common characteristics: intelligence, great quotes, and humor. But these elements were missing in The Soulmate, leaving the reader with no one to invest in.

In terms of storytelling, it also felt like this book was aiming to read like Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, but the prose didn't work. At the very outset, we know that someone died, and then we go back in time and have all of these revelations.

Unfortunately, the prose with all of its very short sentences set a tone of hysteria. And the journey through this book wasn't enjoyable as the characters were so underdeveloped.

Loved the fast pace chapters and alternating POV and timeline. This was a solid thriller that you can read before bed. Not too spooky and it keeps you guessing right up until the end.

Thanks Netgalley for the arc.

read this in one sitting! possibly the best thriller I’ve read so far this year behind Hidden Pictures…loved the multiple POV and timeline aspects, so many twists! Gabe’s character was a little predictable but the connection to Max was no….not sure how i feel about the cliff nonsense…4 stars may go up to 4.5

🌟🌟🌟🌟.5
Your soulmate…when does loyalty end?

Sally Hepworth became one of my favorite authors when I read “The Good Sister”. It’s one of the best books I’ve read! The author’s writing is engrossing and addictive.

“The Soulmate” examines relationships, marriage, trust, and betrayal. Told in past and present by Pippa and Amanda.

Pippa instantly fell in love with her charming husband and had a whirlwind relationship. Everyone loves Gabe. What’s not to love? He’s an incredible guy, mostly. Pippa can excuse Gabe’s blunders easily. He’s passionate, very intelligent, bores easily…the list goes on. After a rough spot in their marriage, they move to a cottage by the cliff’s edge and they discover its popularity among those wishing to end their lives. But Gabe uses it as a chance to put his charisma to good use and becomes somewhat of a local hero by talking people off the edge. He’s successful with the first seven attempts. Then Amanda appears and she is Gabe’s first failure. Pippa is in the house and only sees a glimpse of Amanda’s back before she goes over the edge but Gabe’s police statement doesn’t quite match what she saw. When the body is identified, she’s stunned to find out that they knew the woman and Gabe didn’t report that either. Where does her loyalty end?

Amanda narrates from beyond. After her leap from the cliff, she describes her complex marriage and the events that lead to the moment on the cliff edge. The lives of both couples are intricately connected through massive secrets! Her chapters are so interesting and illuminating!

Once the elaborate secrets begin to emerge, we’re blasted with one immense shocker after another. I couldn’t stop reading! The characters are multi-layered and passionate…SO fascinating to read about. This is another terrific read by the author!

Sincere thanks to the author and St. Martin’s Press for providing this gifted ARC through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

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I will read any book Sally Hepworth writes but sadly her newest book, The Soulmate, is my least favorite to date. Don’t get me wrong - I still enjoyed and don’t regret reading it…but I didn’t LOVE it. The short chapters lend itself to a very easy and quick domestic thriller read and I didn’t see the twist coming which is always a plus, but I just felt like something was missing. If you’ve read all her other books I would say it is still worth a read - if you haven’t though I wouldn’t suggest starting with this one because I don’t think it does her justice. The Good Sister is my favorite hands down.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press for the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I definitely recommend reading this one - the short chapters in particular kept me engaged!
One of the books I had on my kindle when I was in Rio last month was The Soulmate. I had only read the blurb and seen the cover, but as I was sitting reading something else on the northern end of Copacabana Beach, I was looking up at the closest mountain and saw there was a house (actually it’s a fort) built right into the cliff. It's a bit more remote than the cliff near Gabe and Pippa’s house in the book, but I had this image in my mind as I was reading the book.
I enjoy diving headfirst into a domestic thriller to break up all the romance I read, and this #thrillerthursday I’m spotlighting The Soulmate! The book comes out in a few weeks, and I read it last weekend. Once I started it on Saturday, I knew I had to finish it before returning to work - the writing and the story enthralled me immediately. So I warn you not to start it unless you have planned time to finish it!
I like how Sally takes an ordinary situation and just pushes a few buttons to make it something crazy you didn’t see coming - but it still seems plausible. Not only is she a talented writer, she’s hilarious on Instagram! I was lucky enough to meet her when she came to Boston last spring.

Umm… did I read the same book as everyone else?
It’s been getting rave reviews but it’s a nah from me.

Pippa out here running through a field of red flags and ignoring every single one.
Gabe was a turd.
Is Asha a psycho child or is she a sweet, vulnerable girl? Make a decision.

Liked:
Dual POV, bounced around on the timeline, fairly accurate glimpse into the career of a trust & estates lawyer, Pippa’s family standing by her side

Disliked:
Oh so much. Namely, Pippa and Gabe. She’s naively defensive & obsessed with her husband; he’s too manipulative & selfish.
The book was repetitive.
And who fanatically uses USB drives anymore? Amanda honey, please use Google Drive for all your shizzz.
Could all of Gabe’s behavior be chalked up to mental illness? Idk, I’m no expert. But this pissed me tf off: “He knew the buttons to press, the things I needed to hear. It was cruel and comforting and humiliating in its mind-fuckery.”
Hard pass.

Rating:
A very, very generous 3 stars, only for the names (Freya!), Amanda & Max grew on me, and being set in a coastal town

Thank you to @Netgalley and @StMartinsPress for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

FOR NETGALLEY ONLY:
Posted to Instagram:
Posted to Goodreads: 3/16/23

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Sally Hepworth for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Soulmate in told in dual POVs (loved Amanda's POV) and timelines which for me tied the book together perfectly. This fast paced thriller gave everything. Drama, crime, secrets and infidelity. The book does have mental health and suicide in it so beware of it going into it.

I especially enjoyed the short chapters so i found myself reading way more at night when i should of been going to sleep lol! I did not see that twist at the end coming and left me in an OMG moment.

I will be adding all of Sally Hepworth's books to my TBR list as soon as I am done here. I highly recommend this book!!! Very Well Done!!!

Pippa and Gabe have moved into a cliffside cottage to give themselves a fresh start. Unfortunately, the cliff, known as “The Drop” to locals for being a place where people come to commit suicide, is not what Pippa had in mind when she envisioned their picture-perfect restart. Since moving in, Gabe has talked several people off the ledge, but one night his powers of persuasion don’t work and a woman goes over the edge. As Pippa watches in horror, something doesn’t sit right with her.

The Soulmate explores the darker side of marriage, betrayal and soulmates through two couples, and touches on sensitives topics like mental health. It is told in dual points of view – one from the perspective of the woman who jumped – and in multiple timelines. This was fast-paced, well-developed and twisty to the core. I can’t wait to see what Hepworth comes up with next!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sally Hepworth and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book. I can’t wait to read Hepworth’s others.

typically, a dual POV + dual timeline terrifies me and just overwhelms me. however, this was WELL DONE. the contents within the book are pretty tragic and hepworth has some dark humor in her, i feel as though mental health
representation is often done wrong. however, i think this book disclosed the devastating impact of mental illness on not just the individual, but family members too. sally hepworth has been quite consistent in terms of how much i adore her books. i'm always looking forward to her new releases and this one didn't disappoint!

Thanks so much to the publisher, the author and Netgalley for my e-arc of The Soulmate. Sally Hepworth always delivers for me and this was a fast paced, quick and bingeable thriller.

It explored the deeper side of marriage. Lots of drama, secrets, lies and infidelity. Be aware going in to this one that it also talks a lot about mental illness and suicide.

The story was told through dual POV and dual timelines and I felt that it worked well. I had my theories while reading. Some were right, some were wrong. While there wasn't a truly mind blowing twist, I did find it highly entertaining. Quite the page turner! If you've enjoyed this author's previous works, I feel like this one will be a win for you.

I enjoyed this, although I wouldn’t say it was my absolute favorite. It’s consistently interesting and has a dual POV (with each POV also having before / after timelines) which I enjoyed. For a thriller nothing was too heart racing, despite the constant twists, but the structure appealed to me. It was a fast read because each chapter is so short so it’s hard to convince yourself you shouldn’t read just one more.

Wow! I binged this book in less than 24 hours! I was immediately hooked and didn’t want to put it down. I was super into Amanda’s chapters as I enjoyed her POV being dead. This was a fast paced book and had a lot of drama/ things unraveling. I didn’t know what was true and what was not because Pippa’s husband was so unreliable. I couldn’t predict the twist at the end but I knew there was something going on but couldn’t put my finger on it. Definitely recommend!

Will post on bookstagram

This book was just amazing. I enjoyed the previous book by this author so I just had to read this one. Th characters were interesting and the story had me pulled in from the very beginning. I highly recommend books by this author.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

WOW, Sally Hepworth did not come to play. This is my second favorite book of hers behind The Good Sister. I could not put this book down. I loved the setting of the book. The house near the cliff made the atmosphere dramatic and full of tension. I could easily picture everything happening in my head. I think the discussion of marriage and mental health was well-done. It didn't glamorize the hard truth behind loving someone even if they might be toxic.

Now the ending had my jaw on the floor. Sally Hepworth just finds a magical way to tie in her twists without it being unrealistic. I was not expecting it and looking back on the story, it made sense. I would HIGHLY recommend this psychological thriller to anyone. There is even a touch of romance in the plot.

Well done.

This is a thrilling read that will captivate you until the last page. The author is a favorite and allways one I can never put down to conclusion. The writing is masterful. The dual timelines add to the thrill as you turn page after page . The author has a talent for building suspense and holding you hostage over your e reader until the very last page. This is to good to give away with spoilers I suggest you read it for yourself and clear your calender .
A most excellent read. Thank you to the author, to Net Galley and the publisher with gratitude.

Such a page turner. I enjoyed that the book was set in Australia. Looking forward to reading more books by this author.

Deepest thanks to NetGalley as always and to St. Martin Press for an ARC of Sally Hepworth's latest page-turner.
Once again, domestic dysfunction goes plunging off a cliff......this time literally, right into the crashing surf of the ocean below. That's part of the unsettling price that loving soulmates Pippa and Gabe pay for moving into a beautiful cliffside house on the Australian coast. Their home sits in front of the area's most favored high cliff for potential suicides seeking to end it all.
But not on Gabe's watch though. Movie star handsome and a dauntless good Samaritan,, he's become a neighborhood celeb by rushing out the house to talk people out of taking that last fatal step. Pippa couldn't be prouder of him........that is, until Gabe's calming voice and steady outstretched hands fail to prevent a bedeviled woman's terminal leap. Even worse, from Pippa's vantage point of the incident, it looked more like Gabe's arms appeared in the "push" position rather than the life-saving "I got you!" stance. Uh oh......
And now let the twists commence, starting the first of a cascade of shockers that rock Pippa's world......Gabe and the unfortunate woman were not strangers to each other. (Let's all say it together now...."Uh oh..")
More than that I wouldn't dream of revealing, since the nerve-wracking jollies of a domestic thriller like this come from the steady detonation of deep secrets and stunning surprises. And in that regard, Sally Hepworth delivers the goods over and over........in that everybody involved has something to hide and don't think you know for minute what's really going on until you race to the final pages.
The short, right-to-the-point chapters give the book a relentless, propulsive pace........a technique I wish more thriller authors would adopt. And I can never get enough zippy 5 star, suspense laded tales like "The Soulmate"....even if they take me way past bedtime. Well done, Ms. Hepworth.....can't wait for your next one already. For suspense fans, "The Soulmate" makes for a fine book-mate.

While I absolutely loved this book, the lack of diversity didn’t settle well with me. The plot however was wonderful and the layers of the onion that were this plot made this very enjoyable. Though I won’t read it again https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTR7fcwXR/

I read this book in less than 24 hours. I could NOT put it down! I was so impressed with how well the author wrote both a non linear timeline and dual perspective narration with seamless ease. It definitely added to the "can't put it down' nature of the book because I just had to get back to Pippa's "now" timeline. If you're looking for a book that hooks you right away, this is the one!