Sally Hepworth is an auto-read author for me. I've had great luck with her previous works, and I was so excited to receive an ARC of this newest mystery.

Pippa and Gabe live in a house near a cliff with a breathtaking view. What they didn't realize was that was a popular destination for desperate people looking to end their lives. Gabe has taken it upon himself to try to talk people away from the edge, and he has been successful...until now. Pippa feels tremendous sympathy for her husband and his inability to save every person. But in this particular case, that doesn't seem like the full story.

The shifting perspectives in time and people add layers of intricacy to the story. We learn about Pippa and Gabe's relationship and the tough times they have endured. We also hear from Amanda from beyond the grave, providing her own backstory and adding a fascinating omniscient viewpoint to further the plot. The exact details of what Amanda is aware of in the afterlife are murky, but it serves its purpose. The character development of the four main characters also left a lot to be desired, with some oversimplification and lacking nuance.

Overall, the book is propulsive, the pacing is done brilliantly, and the twists were very unpredictable.

I thought this book was really good. It will be hard to summarize the story without giving away the story.

So, borrowing from the first part of the book blurb: There’s a cottage on a cliff. Gabe and Pippa’s dream home in a sleepy coastal town. But their perfect house hides something sinister. The tall cliffs have become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Night after night Gabe comes to their rescue, literally talking them off the ledge. Until he doesn’t.

This story was woven together in a really interesting manner, being told by different women, in the present and past. In some ways, this story should be confusing because of how it jumps around, but I thought it was really well written and I enjoyed going along for the ride. I can't wait to read something else by this author as this is a new author to me.

I received a copy of this book from Netgally and so glad I had the opportunity to read it.

This book was great. I enjoyed it from start to finish. Not only do I like when stories are told from different viewpoints, but I like when they are told from the present and the past. It adds something to the story.
It was really easy to follow and it brought the story together nicely. I was glad to see that Pippa finally decided that she was better on her own and she didn't need anyone to help her. That was best decision she could make for her self and her girls!
I would highly reccomend this!

I love Sally Hepworth's books and The Soulmate did not disappoint. It gripped me from the beginning and did not let go until the end. I liked that it was told from two perspectives. I really liked the mystery throughout the book. There were several twists throughout the book that I did not see coming. Highly recommend

Expected publication in the US is April 4, 2023



Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital arc.

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth
My rating: 4/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pippa and her husband Gabe decide to relocate to a beautiful location by the water. However, they did not realize they were so close to a location called “The Drop” where multiple people have died by suicide. Gabe finds his calling by trying to save the people who come there to jump, but one day, he is unable to save someone. That someone just happens to be someone that Pippa and Gabe know, and the story unravels from there. This one was really intriguing and I enjoyed it a lot! When the reader finds out the full story, I think the author did a great job tying off the loose ends and overall this was a great book! Definitely give it a read!

Thanks netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC! You can read this one on April 4, 2023!

I am a huge fan of Sally Hepworth and this one did not disappoint. As always she brings twists and turns to the simplest of storylines. She kept me guessing until the end without making things too over the top. I thought the perspective of the dead wife was a really interesting way to tell pieces of the story. It was unique and something I had to adjust to but ended up liking. I will recommend this to my audience.

I received a complimentary egalley of THE SOULMATE by Sally Hepworth thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley. I also received the advance listener copy thanks to Macmillan Audio!

THE SOULMATE begins with a house on a cliff. Gabe and Pippa are living in the home of their dreams, but the place has a darker context as well. Being placed on a steep cliff over the sea, their location is known as a popular spot for suicides. Gabe and Pippa are known to the local first responders after several close calls when Gabe has successfully talked people off the ledge.

On this occasion things are different and the woman goes over the edge. It is tragic, but surely no one is to blame that Gabe wasn’t able to save her. When the woman is identified and a connection to Gabe and to the family is found, Pippa must begin to question everything.

I have enjoyed Sally Hepworth’s books in the past, some more than others, and I am happy to say that this one really worked well for me. I wound up binge reading the whole book in one afternoon! It deals with some heavy concepts with suicide being a central theme, but it delivers a really strong and twisty story along the way.

This book primarily follows two POVs between Pippa and the woman who dies going over the cliff ledge. Both perspectives go back and forth in time to tell the story of how they all came to be here. The story delves into complicated relationships and a lot of secrets from the past.

The author managed to pull a few surprises into the story that I didn’t predict and I really had fun with the book overall!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Sally Hepworth for the advanced copy of The Soulmate in exchange for my honest review.

I will level with ya'll. At about 80% in I was fully prepared to not like this one, but the ending truly saved it. I definitely don't want to spoil anything so I will only say there are two main reasons I ended up enjoying it so much: 1. The big twist at the end, and 2. Pippa's ultimate character arc.

I also loved the alternating point of view chapters (and they were nice and short, hooray!), as well as one of the viewpoints being from the victim!

I adore Sally Hepworth as a human being and an author, and I'm thrilled this one ended up delivering for me in the end!

The Soulmate will be on US bookshelves April 4!

Summary:

Gabe and Pippa finally find a dream home overlooking a beautiful cliff in a coastal town. Unfortunately this cliff has become a place where people choose to jump and escape everything to end their life.

Gabe has developed an ability to actually talk people off the ledge. Until one evening when Gabe actually knows Amanda, the latest victim, and she follows through by jumping off the cliff. Or did she? Could Gabe have pushed her?

My Thoughts:

I have loved all of Sally Hepworth’s books. Hepworth has a way of taking you into the women’s deepest thoughts and feelings. The raw thoughts of characters like Pippa and Amanda are expressed in alternate chapters leading up to the day of Amanda’s suicide. Hepworth is able to show the good and bad of both marriages on display in this book. There are many twists, turns, and surprises in the book, and the format is done really well.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the Advanced Reader’s copy of The Soulmate. It will be released on April 4, 2023.

Not my favorite from this author, but man was it ever bingeable! I love this author, and was thrilled to meet her on her US book tour last year. Her writing is captivating and I literally can't tear myself away from reading, even if the overall book isn't jiving with me. The main problem I had with this book is that I didn't like any of the characters, and I think you were supposed to feel something for at least some of them. I wanted to shake some sense into Pippa (who must have Tammy Wynette's Stand By Your Man on internal repeat!). The book alternates between Pippa and Amanda, in both past and present times. There is a little bit of a ghostly element, which is not really my thing, although I can see how it added to the story. I'm also left feeling kind of icky about the mental health representation. It was done well, but not handled well by the characters. The conclusion was mostly satisfying, so I was left with a better feeling about the book in general.

An absolutely riveting read, but not entirely my cup of tea. Overall exploring themes of marriage, fidelity, workplace, shady business practices, suicide, and the idea of having a soulmate. I've decided after reading this that I don't want one!

As always, I am a fan! Her books are soooooo good. What a mess these characters were. Crazy!

4.5 stars. Go read or listen ASAP.

Rating: 5/5 stars.

“The Soulmate” is another killer mystery/thriller novel from Sally Hepworth. The novel’s basic premise is rather shocking. A rich family moves to an upscale home near a steep cliff that is historically related to tragic losses of life, and one character, aptly named Gabe, becomes the “saviour” that prevents people from making life-ending decisions on the cliff’s edge. The author takes this thought-provoking concept into areas that the reader would not expect.

In standard Hepworth fashion, she masterfully illustrates the characters, detailing their lives and the intricacies of their relationships, and weaves together a twisty plot told from two characters’ points of view. I do not want to give any spoilers, but there is a new “element” of sorts introduced in this novel that adds another layer to the story and involves one of the book’s earliest—and perhaps most shocking—twists. Though the subject matter is serious, she still manages to infuse her trademark humour throughout, allowing laughs to ease the tension. I absolutely loved this book, and once again find myself counting down the days until Hepworth releases a new novel for me to dive into, no pun intended.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book on NetGalley and have provided an honest review.*

I was a little disappointed in this one to be honest. I ended up dnf-ing it. It felt really one note to me personally. This may be a book for someone else just not me unfortunately.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

3,5 stars rounded up

I think the author executed the story well with short chapters, good writing and I really liked that Amanda was a POV. What I expected but didn't get was a much smarter plot twist in the end. The ending felt a bit rushed and there were something in the plot I couldn't put together. When did Gabe hook up with Asha's mother? Did they have a relationship? That whole story felt very overlooked and also Pippa's feelings.

Also, Pippa said they always had great sex even in the low days...did she mean even she discovered that he had been cheating and produced a child? The character arcs are inconsistent and I think it's very unbelievable that both her parents and sister with wife uproot their lives to follow Pippa so they can keep an eye on them?

The story consisted of too much of these plot holes for me to think it's a great book.

I want to read ALL the books by Sally Hepworth! The Soulmate is my first and I’m kicking myself for waiting so long to read her. I fell hard for The Soulmate. It has everything I look for in a great novel. The author writes with ease and purpose. Each word compelling, pushing the plot ahead. The Soulmate is a beautifully tragic look into marriage, family, relationships and what we’re willing to do in the name of love.

The multi POVs worked well in audio. Narration was on point. I got lost in the story and didn’t want it to end - loved every minute. I can’t stop thinking about how incredibly well the author weaved in so many different layers. Bravo!

Sally Hepworth knows how to write a good thriller. From page 1 you are invested in the story and need to know what happens next. This book has dueling POVs and takes place in 2 timeframes (before & after) yet the story doesn’t get confusing or feel bogged down with too many details. And even though you sense where this is going and who the real villain is the ending does not disappoint.

If you have the time this could easily be a 1 day read. The chapters were pretty short (there were a couple lengthy ones in there) and the plot moves along at a good pace. It was hard to put down even when it was way past bedtime.

A solid 5 stars.

For the first 1/3 of this book, I was hooked but at about the halfway point, the story started to meander. Eventually, it felt like I was only reading about a dysfunctional marriage and there was absolutely no thrill in that. Mix in the mental illness trope and the repetitiveness of the plot, I wasn’t impressed with The Soulmate.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I so enjoyed this! This book had me turning the pages as fast as I could in this twisty, keep you guessing read!!!
I so enjoy this author, and this book is not to be missed

This was such a captivating story. Told from multiple perspectives, in multiple timelines, this story is seamless. Pip and Gabe appear to have the perfect relationship, but as the story unfolds
you see the cracks. Gabe has saved many people who come to end their lives, but when his former bosses wife appears, he can not save her. As the story unfolds, the relationship between Pippa & Gabe, Max and Amanda gets more and more complex. I enjoyed every minute of this book!

This book had me on edge for a good part of it! I couldn’t stop reading it and it had some really good cliff hangers that made you keep reading!