Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of The Soulmate. Set in a small coastal town in Australia, this story is told from 2 POVs and multiple timelines. With a couple of twists, this domestic thriller examined mental illness, “perfect marriages” and assumptions. Sally Hepworth is a great storyteller. I am anticipating her next novel.

Pippa has spent most of her adult life making excuses for and forgiving Gabe, her soulmate. But now she sees him do the one thing she doesn’t know if she can forgive, but can she be sure of what she saw?

This story told from dual POVs by Pippa and the wife of Gabe’s boss is thoroughly intriguing and suspenseful, with a great twist at the end.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

I was so excited to receive this ARC for Sally Hepworth’s new book!! There is something about her books that always pull me in and keep me guessing until the last page. The Soulmate was no exception. The short chapters and dual POV’s kept me hooked from the start and I wanted to cancel all my weekend plans to read this. I didn’t guess the final twist which is always a bonus for me!

If this wasn’t on your list already, add it for 2023!!

Thank you to the St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Pippa and Gabe live in a cliffside cottage that seemed idyllic when they bought it. Since then, they've found it to be a spot where despondent people want to end it all. Gabe has managed to dissuade several people from jumping until one evening when it seems nothing he can do or say is enough and a woman falls to her death. This story! It was a one day read because I couldn't put it down. It's told from the perspectives of Gabe's wife Pippa and that of Amanda, the woman who fell. The short chapters made the pages fly. Sally Hepworth inserted twists at a good pace that kept me guessing on the whys and whats. An intriguing story that didn't lag - even once. I loved that.

hank you to #StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for the digital ARC of #TheSoulmate. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

This was a great, twisty domestic thriller. Looks like I'll be adding the rest of Hepworth's backlist to my TBR.

Pippa and Gabe have moved to their "dream house" in coastal Australia for a fresh start. Their house backs up to "the drop" - a place where people go to end their lives. But Gabe has a knack for talking them back from the drop. Until Amanda comes to the drop. Amanda is the wife of Gabe's former boss and with her suicide, the past and all its secrets are exposed. Hepworth writes beautifully about the complexity of marriage, family, loyalty and mental health.

Told in alternating timelines (then and now) from alternating viewpoints (Pippa and Amanda) this book will surprise you again and again.

This quickly became one of my favorite books I read in a long time. I’ve been a long time Sally Hepworth fan, but her premise for this story really sealed the deal and made me a super fan. This might be because I related so much to the story and it’s perfect timing. Mental illness is usually avoided in stories all together or often shown as an extreme and hard to miss factor. Sally approached this subject in a more true to life fashion and addressed situations that can easily be brushed off as normal, but spoiler, are very problematic. Her research on the topic was spot on and I felt like I was living the story (again, because I’ve been in a similar place) Great read!

This book is an amazing page turner of a mystery/thriller. The author masterfully writes twists and turns between the characters so you never know what will happen next. Gabe and Pippa live near The Drop, a notorious spot for suicide jumpers, and Gabe is locally famous for saving seven people over the years. Max is married to Amanda and was Gabe’s boss at one time. How their lives are intertwined is peeled back as the story goes on and by the end you are let feeling breathless as all is revealed. There are many themes explored between the characters from family relations, love and forgiveness, and keeping secrets with those repercussions. I love a story that has complicated characters and a story you can’t stop reading.

Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, this was a good book. The characters, while flawed, were well developed and the plot flowed easily. There were some nice twists and turns. I just felt that at times the story dragged, and the plot developed a little slower than I thought it would. Still, I recommend for those looking for a good thriller.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I just LOVED this book! It was the first one I've read of Sally Hepworth's and I'll definitely be reading more! There were so many twists that I didn't see coming. And sometimes when I read a book with multiple women POVs I feel that they have the same voice, just a different name. But Pippa and Amanda actually felt like two different women. The story was so enticing and thrilling. And that final line? It made me tear up.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
George, Pippa & their two young daughters move to a quaint house in a smaller town. They soon discover the cliff near their house is a common spot for people to jump off (& end their life). One night a woman comes to the cliff, George goes out to try and help her, and she jumps anyways. After her body is found, there are many connections found between this woman and George. Which leads Pippa to question….did the woman jump, or was she pushed? Lots of family secrets in this one. I enjoyed this book but not as much as Hepworths’ other novels. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

While it was full of juicy secrets and betrayal, The Soulmate didn't quite have me on the edge of my seat like I hoped it would. It does this thing that a lot of thrillers do lately- starts with a great premise, drags on and onnnn, and then gives us all the drama right at the end. That being said, the ending was great and I was intrigued by the idea of The Drop. This was not my favorite, but fans of Sally Hepworth may enjoy it, I wish I could give a more positive review.

TW: Mental health issues & suicide

A couple moves into a house with their daughters only to learn it is a well known destination for individuals to commit suicide. Gabe takes it upon himself to be a hero and is able to save 7 people who had come to take their lives. Until the day that Amanda comes to The Drop and he is unable to save her.

I found this dual timeline and dual point of view story incredible. I absolutely loved how Sally Hepworth discussed mental health and suicide without it being in bad taste. The characters stories were so well written and each were very likable. I would highly recommend everyone get their hands on this one upon release if you are okay with the trigger warnings.

Sally Hepworth’s writing never fails to impress me and she always has a fresh take on psychological suspense. I loved the English cliffside setting of this where the main character intervenes with jumpers wanting to end their lives until his intervention was unsuccessful. The beginning of this seems pleasant enough but each chapter reveals another layer of deception and intrigue until you realize that nothing is at all what it first seemed. Hepworth’s character development and the ways readers are privy to the minds of these characters is brilliant. Ideal for fans of Wendy Walker and Lisa Unger.

When Pippa and Gabe see a woman near the cliff by their home, Gabe jumps into gear to save her. They assume that she, like many others before her, has come to the cliff to take her own life. Unfortunately, Gabe can't save her... but what Pippa can't work out is, why does it seem like he didn't try? Why does it seem like maybe he had a hand in the way she went over the edge?

I couldn't put this book down! I loved the dual POVs between Amanda (the woman on the cliff) and Pippa. The story alternates between the past and the present - usually I find dual timelines and dual POVs a little too much, but this was really well done. Each woman had her own distinct voice, and you could tell that each one was getting more frantic as the story built. I do wish we had gotten to know more of Amanda aside from her role as Max's wife, and the ending felt a little too neatly wrapped up, but overall I really enjoyed it! It was a great domestic thriller that kept me guessing.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Okay look, I’m trying not to post brutally honest reviews anymore because “that’s not nice coming from a fellow author.” But considering I’ve gotten reviews saying my book wasn’t for them, I think it’s fair to admit this book wasn’t my favorite.

However, it was a very quick read. While the beginning hooked me, the middle and ending were slow, it was finished within 3 hours or so.

What didn’t work for me was the lack of SOMETHING. I don’t know what it was. Storyline? Intrigue? Character development? Not sure what fell flat, but it had zero “OoOooOh” moments for me. Even labeled as a suspenseful “thriller,” I felt nothing for the reveals. Not a thing.

This author is so hit or miss for me. I LOVED The Good Sister. One of my top books in 2021. So if you’re on the fence with this, please still give it a shot. This could have been my mood. I’ve had quite a few duds in row.

I have yet to meet a Sally Hepworth thriller I didn't love! Hepworth is a wonderful writer who never fails to create compelling characters with depth, twisty plots, and great endings. This book is no exception! It's unique narrative style (which I won't spoil!) helps you understand things from the victim's perspective while still saving the final twists for the very end. The only downside to Hepworth's books: I hate finishing them and waiting for the next one!

I just don’t think this book was for me. I couldn’t connect with the characters in the story. Although I did enjoy the dual timelines. I felt like there wasn’t much happening in the book other than infidelity, which your reminded about almost every chapter. The pacing was a bit off to me and it felt like some parts were rushed while other parts seemed to drag on. Most of the plot’s twists were easy to guess & if not they weren’t too shocking.

I do think you might like this book if you’re just getting into domestic thrillers or if you like slower paced books.

Im hoping to try another book by Sally again and have a different experience.

Thank you to NetGalley & the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

4.5 stars

Thank you to Sally Hepworth, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

Total disclosure - I have read ALL of Sally Hepworth's novels and this is one of the best EVER! It twists and turns so much that when you think that you have it ALL figured out - it twists and turns AGAIN and then AGAIN!! I loved the characters, setting, and storyline. The best thing about Sally's books is that they are thrillers/mysteries without all of the gore. I can SLEEP after reading her books

Speaking of sleep, I started this book and finished it in a day. I had a long day at the stylist's so I read this book while I waited. Then when to bed early (8:00 pm) so I could finish it. I finished it last night and LOVED it, but thankfully that I went to sleep while mulling it all over in my mind. It is the kind of book that you DEVOUR. It is THE beach read of 2023!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

This book was a bit of a letdown for me. I didn't find myself as invested as I was hoping and overall, after reading it, I feel underwhelmed. Even the short chapters didn't help me stay engaged. The alternating POVs and timelines, initially, were hard for me to follow, but that did improve. I thought having one of the POVs being a dead character was interesting, but for the most part the characters were just blah to me.

It had a great foundation to make for an excellent book and for the most part reviewers are raving over it, so I'm clearly an outlier. I just can't see myself recommending this book if you are wanting an edge of your seat, twisty thriller. I've read alot of thrillers lately I would recommend over this one. This book felt more dramatic than suspenseful as it delves into the background of marriage and what happens behind closed doors and the mysteries kept from your spouse, but not enough suspense or shocking revelations to keep me interested enough to figure it out if that makes sense.

TW: suicide, mental illness, infidelity.

**Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy of this book and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. I am posting this review to my Goodreads account immediately and will post it to my Amazon & Instagram accounts upon publication.

🎧Song Pairing: Angels Fall - Breaking Benjamin

💭What I thought would happen:

I thought maybe some Wuthering Heights drama with a title like that and the cliff side.,.nah

📖What actually happens:

A woman “falls” from a cliff that is apparently right by where a couple lives with 2 young daughters erm…questionable real estate purchase there…

Couple both knows the faller, wife questions if she actually jumped or if she was pushed and whether it was her fault.

Husband insists he didn’t know who she was til he was closer but he sus AF and doesn’t get any sympathy votes.

🗯Thoughts:

Weeeell at least it was quick? I liked the female characters. The men kind of sucked a bag of dicks in this one and not even like in a drama-fuelled way but more so in a way being like girrrrl you chose that guy?

Read if you like:
😕 Some soft drama
⚠️Lukewarm thrillers
💛Mediocre men committing infidelity
🐝Unclear POVs