This was such a fast paced book that hooked me right from the beginning. The twists towards the end were amazing! I felt deeply for a few of the characters. Definitely the perfect thriller.

Oh Sally, you have done it again!

Your writing wiggles it’s way into my head and encapsulates my heart. Perfectly written from the hook of the first chapter, to the suspense that keeps building, and THEN when the ending twist happens here I am shedding tears over these characters over a few lines you masterfully crafted!

This is a great one yall! I will remember this book for a long time coming!

Gabe and Pippa live at the precipice of an ocean cliff, which many people visit in order to find a means to an end. In the year that they have lived there, Gabe has become adept at helping those people on the edge. That is except for his last encounter, where he could not save her…or is that just the story he has spun…

This book had me from start to finish—it took me a day to read from cover to cover—typical of a Sally Hepworth thriller!

The ending was a slightly dissatisfying, but not enough for me to rate this any less than 4 stars. Definitely check this one out!

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

Featuring ~ dual 1st person POV, dual timeline ~ now and then & before and after, suicide, infidelity, mental illness, short chapters

Pippa narrates in the now and then. Pippa is known as the helper and husband Gabe the hero since he's saved 7 suicidal people from taking their life near their house that sits on a cliff. Until he doesn't save one...in steps Amanda as she narrates in the before and after, but talking as if dead ~ what's up with that? Not sure, but it worked well to slowly reveal, in a fast paced way, all the secrets and betrayal.

Sally is quite the storyteller giving us some nice twists. I was kept engaged and was able to bust it out in just one day.

Side note ~ this is one of my favorite covers.

thank you netgalley & st. martin’s press for this ARC! THE SOULMATE by sally hepworth is out april 4, 2023.

i am a big fan of sally hepworth’s books, so i was really excited to read her new release! THE SOULMATE is told from the perspective of two wives and switches between past and present. with every chapter, you continue to uncover more of the truth, slowly but surely. the short chapters helped keep things moving along and the setting/plot of “the drop” was really interesting.

overall, i was slightly underwhelmed by this thriller. it didn’t captivate me as much as THE MOTHER-IN-LAW or THE GOOD SISTER did. it still had great elements of family drama and domestic suspense!

I really struggled to read this book it was so painfully slow and the twists weren’t twisty enough for me. The plot was flat and there was way too much “fluff” in between. I often found myself skipping paragraphs of overly descriptive or irrelevant descriptions/dialogue. It could be that marital issues are simply not something that interests me enough but I hardly consider this a thriller or even a suspenseful book. The only reason I finished it was because I was determined not to have a DNF this year.

I personally feel that this novel featured a weak female lead, it was frustrating to see all that Pippa continuously dealt with. This was not a character that I could relate to or even have sympathy for. I also did not appreciate how mental illness was featured in this novel either. The portrayals of suicide, bipolar disorder and ADHD were disingenuous and I felt that it fueled misconceptions about those that struggle with these illnesses.

Okayyyyy this was a lot deeper than expected 😅

This book was intense. I felt like the term “the plot thickens” could be said like four times during this read. It kept getting deeper and deeper into these couples’ lives. I had no clue what was going to happen next!!

Mental illness was a heavy theme and not only shows how it affects the person struggling but also how it affects everyone around them. I felt like this was written delicately but honest and true.

I enjoyed this book! However, it kind of stressed me out lol but overall made me happy and appreciative of the calm, quiet life my husband and I live. 😂

This was my first Sally Hepworth book and it won’t be my last!


Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Sally Hepworth novel, and I loved it! This story hooked me from the beginning. Pippa and Gabe live near 'The Drop', a notorious cliffside that is often used as a suicide jump point. Gabe has talked many people down, but on the night when the story opens, he is unable to talk a mysterious woman out of jumping, or did he?
The plot of this novel is fast paced and so interesting. It is not like a typical domestic thriller where you kind of know what is going to happen. There were lots of twist and turns and I really enjoyed it all the way through.
Thanks to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for the advance reader's copy. I'm really looking forward to checking out some of Hepworth's backlist now!

Book Review:
🌊The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth

I’m so glad that I found this author. I have enjoyed several of her books so far, and her latest was no exception.

Sally Hepworth is a master at creating realistic, flawed characters who the reader can relate to. The Soulmate brought us a couple who appear to be the picture of a perfect marriage, but slowly unfolds to reveal later upon layer of complexities.

This book explores themes of loyalty, mental health, family dynamics and love which are all interwoven by the author’s typical fast-paced writing. The past/present timelines and narration from different points of view kept me turning pages, dying to find out what happened next.

If you are sensitive to reading about suicide, drug use, mental disorders or violent crime, definitely consider the trigger warnings.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and am always excited to see what she comes up with next.

Thank you to @stmartinspress @sallyhepworth and @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 ⭐️ Not my favorite by Hepworth but still a fun & fast-paced story. It’s told from 4 different timelines: Then/Before and After/Now. It alternates between Pippa & Amanda’s POV, detailing their marriages. Both women believe they married their soulmate, but you’ll have to find out if they both succeeded. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Trigger warning: Infidelity, mental illness, suicide

A twist at every turn - my mind was spinning as I read this book. I couldn't wait to finish and find the answers.

Okay I am a huge Hepworth fan. Unfortunately this book fell a little short of her usual suspenseful thrillers. I was hooked from the beginning but I think there was too much backstory that made the book a little muddy and the ending didn’t live up to the start.

However I will read every word she ever writes as I love her as an author!

Sally Hepworth does a great job with fast, twisty suspense novels. I enjoyed The Soulmate, but I can't say that it was my favorite by this author. I did enjoy the quick pacing of the plot, but I really didn't care for any of the characters. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC of The Soulmate.

This is a story about soulmates.

I was so surprised by this book- none of what I thought was going to happen did, and it made me cry unexpectedly. @sallyhepworth spun a narrative that I thought couldn’t possibly tie up well (esp when I was at 85%!) but it did- out of nowhere she pulled it together and it ended perfectly. There’s a super unique narrative element that I won’t spoil for you, but I’m excited to hear what everyone thinks!

Thank you so much @netgalley & @stmartinspress for the eArc!

I couldn't put this book down... If you start this book and have any plans you better cancel them, this book will have you sucked right in from beginning to end.

Rating: ⭐⭐ (2)

The Soulmate, (Sally Hepworth, April 2023)

I'll cut to the chase: I didn't enjoy The Soulmate. I don't regret reading it by any means, it just...was not nearly as compelling or captivating as I'd hoped it would be.

A classic spousal "who is betraying whom" story, The Soulmate didn't have the execution necessary to avoid underwhelming the reader (me). I more felt like I was trying to get it finished so I could start my next book, than actually experience the ending. (Also, the thing that the whole book was leading up to....was disappointing. I read a whole book for that to be the reveal?)

I would love to discuss The Soulmate with others, because I have questions that I can't ask in a review -- not only because a review can't talk back, but because asking my questions would mean spoilers. I do think The Soulmate would be a great pick for a book club, for whatever that's worth! (Probably nothing.)

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced listener copy. Onto the next!

Gabe and Pippa own a dream home on a cliff. But their perfect home is a popular spot for people to end their lives. Gabe has successfully talked several victims off the ledge. Until Amanda; he couldn’t save her. But when Pippa discovers Gabe knew the victim, she questioned whether the victim jumped or was she pushed?

Told in dual timelines from the perspectives of Pippa and Amanda, we learn how these characters are connected. This book starts off in a very binge worthy, attention-grabbing way but then…drops off. I felt like the story was going in circles with nothing really happening. Hepworth writes domestic drama like no other, but that’s exactly what this is, DRAMA, with a little suspense. It’s not a thriller so be prepared for that. The MCs were portrayed as women obsessed with their husbands and their storylines got really tedious and annoying. Unfortunately I was just left underwhelmed. I find that the formula for this author’s books just doesn’t work for me (and that’s ok.)

What I did like:
- Short chapters 🙌🏽
- Mental Health representation
- Ending felt cathartic
- Quick read (can be binged in a sitting)

This book was interesting and immediately drew me in.  There were so many twists and turns, and the more I read it, the more questions I had.   I really didn't know the direction the book was going to take, but it did get pretty dark, pretty quick. It discusses suicide and mental illness, so be aware of those triggers. 

It was both interesting and sometimes confusing to have two separate narrators in two separate timelines, but it added to the chaotic feel of the story.  Things kept happening that changed my perspective on the characters and the situation. I enjoyed the creative idea of having Amanda tell part of the story after she died.  Listening to each woman tell their tragic tale was both enlightening and sad.

Arguably, all the characters were questionable at some point.  The more I learned about Gabe, the more I wondered why Pippa stayed with him.  Amanda and Max's relationship was also confusing to me at times.  Did he care for Amanda?  Did he not? The actions and thoughts of these characters were interesting and kept me wanting to know more. They were both pretty tragic relationships.  This book highlighted the struggles of the people who have mental illnesses and the people who love them.  My only negative was the ending because I felt like it didn't do Max justice and went against his character. Overall, it was a solid read with an interesting and twisty story with equally interesting characters.

I received the audiobook of this arc, and will be leaving my full review under that copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this bard in exchange for an honest review.

Another great Sally Hepworth novel! The Soulmate captures your attention from the first page and pulls you through Pippa and Gabe's lives at a breathless pace. If you're a fan of domestic thrillers with twisty, turny plots, I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for an advanced copy of the novel.