Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this novel. I enjoyed this book, it was twisty and entertaining but not outstanding. It’s the story of Gabe and Pippa, a married couple who live next to “The Drop” a cliff where people often go to end their lives. As the novel starts, a woman is on the cliff and Gabe is attempting to talk her down but fails. It turns out that he knows this woman- Amanda. The book is told in 4 voices: Amanda in the past and present and Pippa in the past and present. It’s an entertaining domestic thriller that also touches on more serious themes such as mental illness. I’d give it 3.5 stars.

The Soulmate is the fourth book I’ve read from Sally Hepworth. Gabe and Pippa's dream home on a cliff in a sleepy coastal town has become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Gabe has been talking them off the ledge until he fails to rescue a victim who he knew, raising questions about whether she jumped or was pushed and causing their seemingly perfect marriage to unravel. This thriller explores themes of marriage, betrayal, secrets, and compliance. This is one of those books where the outcome may feel predictable from the start, but the way the story dives into why it happened the way it did with twists makes this an entertaining read. The author's writing style kept me hooked. I liked the alternating perspectives between Pippa and Amanda (the victim) and the author's use of "before and after" chapters for each character added depth to the story that I found helpful to keep with the pacing of the storyline. I found that I liked Amanda’s chapters more because the author sheds light on the motives behind her actions. Though Pippa’s chapters were necessary for the progression of the story, I found her character to be quite frustrating due to the acceptance of her husband’s behavior. Overall, The Soulmate was 3.5 stars for me, but I rounded it up to 4 stars on GoodReads.

Looooooved this one! In true Sally Hepworth style, I was hooked from the first chapter and could not put it down until the final twisty ending.

Gabe and Pippa live with their 2 young daughters in Portsea, Australia in a cliff side house. Their property contains an unfortunate popular destination nicknamed “The Drop” because suicidal people come there to end their lives. Gabe is good at talking people off the ledge, literally, he has saved 7 souls in the short time they’ve lived there. But one night, a woman is spotted standing at the ledge, and Gabe goes out to work his magic. Pippa is trying to watch the interaction and it appears Gabe and the woman know each other. There is an obvious argument ensuing, lots of hand gesturing and Gabe is breaking the most important rule of stepping toward her. Pippa gets momentarily distracted with the after dinner activities and when she looks back out the window Gabe is standing at the ledge with his hands outstretched….and he is ALONE! Who was that woman? Why were they arguing? Was Gabe trying to save her….or did he push her?

This story was compulsively addictive to read, the pages just flipped themselves!

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book is available for purchase on April 4, 2023

For this one I did a combination of the audiobook and the kindle. As often happens when I have both I hit a point in the suspense where I can’t keep going so slowly and have to switch to kindle to binge it all and know what happens. The narrator grew on me. I didn’t love her in the beginning but as the story went on I think she did a great job bringing it together. This is a story about love and marriage and lies and mental health. I really liked the way past and present came together. Pippa and Gabe have moved to a cliff side home and Gabe finds his calling as being able to talk those suicidal folks who come to jump off their cliff away. Until the night he can’t. What follows throws their relationship and future into question. The only part I had a hard time believing was Gabe’s initial mental health diagnosis. I did like how that storyline ended up though. Overall I gave this one 4.5 stars rounded up for being such an engrossing story.

Addictive and all-consuming is the best way to describe this book. From the moment I started it until I finished, I couldn't stop thinking about the story and trying to figure out what was going on with these crazy characters. I was fortunate enough to receive both an early copy of the ebook and the audiobook -- so when I couldn't sit and read, I was listening. I was completely obsessed.

Our main characters, Gabe and Pippa are living the picture perfect life in an ocean front home with their two precious little girls. But is everything as it seems? Or are there lies hidden underneath the pretty surface just waiting to be told? This book is full of secrets and betrayals but you won't be sure just who is lying to who until the very end.

When you start this gem, carve out a chunk of time because you won't want to put it down. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The narration was wonderful. It really pulled me into the story and helped me to feel immersed. I lost myself in this book and the audio was really part of what helped me to do that. 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the ebook and audiobook. I voluntarily chose to read/listen to and review them and the opinions contained within are my own.

@sallyhepworth is an author I discovered on bookstagram and I am glad for it! I love her writing and, if you don’t follow her on IG what are you waiting for? She is an absolute gem!

I was so excited to get an ARC of The Soulmate!! I couldn’t wait to dive in and I devoured it in one sitting.

This story starts with a person jumping to her death from the tall cliffs behind Pippa and Gabe’s beautiful home. Although Gabe had recently become known for talking potential suicide victims away from jumping, he apparently wasn’t able to rescue this one.

But there was something odd about the incident that didn’t sit right with Pippa. When she finds out that Gabe knew the victim things feel even more unsettled.

Here starts the slow reveal as the truth of the past and present unfolds in true Sally Hepworth style. You will be completely absorbed by this tale of marriage, friendship, trust, and betrayal.

“It’s as if, while living your life, you view the world through a straw. You see only the tiniest sliver, all of it from your own perspective.”

This book is available in North America April 4th! Thank you NetGalley, @StMartinspress and @sallyhepworth for this glorious book!

Always a fan of Sally Hepworth! Mysteries without the gore. The character development and interweavings in this book are great. And as always, there’s a connection I never expected!

This was a fast paced, throughly fun, character driven thrill ride. I was obsessed with figuring out who was stuck in limbo, and totally invested in Pippa and Gabe’s relationship. Twist after twist after twist had the pages practically turning themselves.

Thank you for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This was my first Sally Hepworth book and I enjoyed it! It was a pretty solid mystery and less so a thriller, but that didn't bother me. You're following two characters' perspectives in both the past and the present. As they tell their stories, both in the aftermath of a tragedy and in the early days of their marriages, the plot weaves itself together almost seamlessly. I enjoyed putting together their histories from this way of storytelling. This book really centers on marriage problems and the inner dynamics that only those involved can truly know. I found it fascinating to see how the female characters reacted to, overlooked, and responded to the events in their respective relationships. It made for a compelling plot and I though it all came together really well.

I also liked the atmosphere of the secluded cliff house, although I thought the setting was going to be more prominent, especially considering the premise of the book. I guess I just wanted MORE ambiance. The short chapters and unresolved events at the end of each one were just enough to keep me interested, but not frustrated at the switching perspectives from chapter to chapter. My only real complaint is that I could have used a bit more excitement, like twists and turns, to increase my star rating. Overall, though, solid enjoyment and a quick read. I would try this author again.

Sally Hepworth does it again! Another fast-paced domestic thriller, that kept me flipping pages at a frantic pace to find out how it all works out in the end. Gabe and Pippa have purchased their dream home, a beautiful cottage overlooking the beaches. The only drawback is that the cliff at the end of their backyard is well known as a spot where desperate people often jump to their deaths. But in the past year, Gabe has stopped 7 people from dying, by talking to them, and offering a compassionate ear in their worst moments. But then it happens, he isn't able to stop one woman from jumping. As secrets are uncovered, and lies are told, Pippa is left to wonder what will happen to her idyllic life.

Hepworth has covered many tough topics in this book - marriage, betrayal, mental health, suicide - with grace and dexterity. Her characters are flawed and realistic. Told from multiple viewpoints, with a look at both present and past, the reader is drawn in to the highs and lows of marriage and love, and the lengths to which people will go when they have been hurt. I flew through this book, and was absolutely satisfied with the ending. Highly recommend this one for readers who love a good bit of domestic suspense in their reading life.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reading copy in exchange for my honest review. Releases Apr 4, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book before publication and to the author for writing such a great book! This book did not go how I initially thought. While yes, it is a murder, there is so much more. The marriage dynamics, familial ties, and mental health aspects all added unexpected elements to this book.

The Soulmate is a domestic thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat with its twists and turns -- I absolutely did not see the climax unfolding the way it did!

Thoughts

First, this was a page turner! I finished this in a day. I simply did not want to stop reading it. It was a little different from other thrillers while still having a lot of the same elements.

Second, I am glad the author got sensitivity readers for this books because I was really worried since mental illness was playing a huge part in the story. And we know how thriller writers like to use that to make people bad. But I think what she did was showed how untreated mental illness can cause harm to oneself and their relationships.

This is probably my favorite thriller in a while. But she rarely misses.

There were a lot of hard topics in this one so please check trigger warnings before reading.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

For those who are HUGE fans of books by Sally Hepworth, this one is the best so far! An absolute white-knuckle read. The opening scene was very tense, and set the expectations for the story. Right away, I was gripped with fear, failure and needed to see caring Gabe find redemption. He’s been successful so far in preventing the horrific….but things have changed….

This is not your typical domestic thriller, but something that’s fearfully unique - a house built near a cliff where people commit suicide…or are pushed off. Not only is the location perilous, so are the dynamics between Gabe/Pippa, and Amanda/Max. I felt uncomfortable, horrified and felt as if I was watching a train wreck as the story progressed. And I, of course, could not stop eating popcorn and WATCHING. Told from multiple POVs and timelines, I did have to keep close track of “who & when” I was reading.

Mental health was a prevalent theme, as was the family dynamics. Just when I thought I had the plot figured out - nope, I was wrong. I enjoyed being surprised multiple times and read this in two sittings.

Recommended for book clubs and fans of domestic suspense - and you will never look at a cliff the same way again.

Thank you to ST. Martin’s Press via NetGalley for this wild ride! I read this voluntarily and all opinions are 100% my own. Even educators need a great story to decompress with from time to time, and this was my fun read this month!

I find that I have mixed feelings about this one. I have been sitting and ruminating on my thoughts for a while and still feel unsure. I thought it was a good and interesting topic. It was a unique idea for a book and it was a very fast read! I liked the different timelines and dual narrators, and that the story wasn’t just told in a straightforward manner.

My problems come in with a dislike for Pippa. It felt like she just stayed with Gabe because he was good in bed. Also, why would her family just come alongside her and not try to get her to see how toxic her relationship was if they were so worried about her. Also, the whole stinking plot was down to the fact of a lie. If there is one plot point that annoys me it’s miscommunication. Seriously, just talk!!! I get a little miscommunication but the entire plot hanging on this one lie just irks me.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of The Soulmate.

The book started off slow for me. About half way through I really started to get into it and couldn't put it down. Some of the ending you could see coming and some of it was a complete surprise.

I didn't like some of the choices that Hepworth made. One I thought was risky and didn't pay off, for me. I didn't like the miscommunication and pettiness of some of the character's choices. It just seemed dumb and implausible that someone would act that way? I think the cover is gorgeous! But I just didn't care for the characters' motivations. It's not a bad book. Three is average, fine, okay. And that's how I feel about it. I've enjoyed some of her other books more!

Gripping. Atmospheric. A perfect domestic thriller with an interesting twist! I loved how this was told through shifting timelines and POVs. It gave elements of suspense as information was revealed bit by bit from each side.

When a woman who you once knew shows up with incriminating evidence against her husband and your wife, and you’re at a place known as The Drop, where people take their own lives… if she suddenly dropped would anyone question whether it was suicide or not? Maybe if her identity stayed hidden the unravelling of secrets would stop… but the trouble with unravelling is that it usually doesn’t stop until the end.

Sally Hepworth has been on my "to-read" list for years, and I'm glad I finally picked up one of her books!

In The Soulmate, we meet two couples whose lives become irrevocably entwined after a suicide... or was it murder? The story jumps back and forth in time and is narrated by the two female characters. Slowly, as the pieces from the past are revealed and put together like a puzzle, the whole story comes to light... and it's a wild one!

This was definitely one of those "hard to put down" thrillers. It moved at a very quick pace from start to finish, while also still managing to develop each of the characters in depth. I find that some thrillers have pretty shallow characters, focusing only on the action, but this book does both. I got a real sense of all the involved parties, which made me much more invested in the story. There is a lot going on... mental illness, betrayals, lies, murder, corruption... but all of these things tie together to tell the whole story. It feels intricately wound, but each piece is important. Each piece makes sense in the grand scheme of it all.

The whole book was surprising and also written very cleverly. I don't always like dual timelines and narration, but in this case, it works miraculously well. I was always racing to the next narrator, to the next flashback in time, to see the trail of breadcrumbs that finally all added up at the end.

I'd highly recommend this one to all fans of thrillers. It'll keep you guessing pretty much until the very end. I look forward to reading much more from Sally Hepworth.

Sally Hepworth strikes again. I am a big fan of Sally's work. She writes domestic and psychological thrillers so well.

In this novel, we meet Gabe & Pippa who live in a small town, near some cliffs that have become a known spot for suicide jumpers. Gabe has been known to go out and talk people off of the ledge numerous times, until the time when he is not successful. Then we learn that Gabe knew the jumper and the circumstances are fishy. The situation exposes some cracks in Gabe & Pippa's relationship, some secrets and some lies.

Highly addictive novel by Sally Hepworth.