Member Reviews

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

All I can say is WOW. If you are looking for a thriller that draws you in from the first chapter – pick this one up!! I listened to the audio version, and I binged the entire thing in one day. Sally Hepworth takes us into the heart of dysfunctional relationships, and how mental illness can affect a family.

Pippa and Gabe are happily married in a beautiful house on a cliff; unfortunately, that cliff is known to the community as a popular spot for people to end their lives. Anytime Pippa and Gabe see someone standing near the cliffs, Gabe goes out and talks to them. Miraculously he has saved every single one… until the night he fails to save the lady on the cliff. Why was Gabe suddenly unable to talk her down? And more importantly, why does Pippa feel like something isn’t quite right?

Hepworth did a fantastic job of writing these characters. I know she did a fantastic job because I was so invested in them, but some of their actions would leave me so annoyed because I just knew it wouldn’t end well. These are not just lovable and reliable characters; they are flawed and frustrating. I couldn’t make myself hate or truly love any of them.

The twists KEPT COMING! I enjoyed the twists; they kept me from putting down the novel until I finished! This book is fast paced, the chapters are short, but they always added something to the story. Overall, the audiobook worked well for me, and I was glad to have that! If you like domestic thrillers, twists and turns, and a fast-paced story – go grab this book now!

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For me, this book was all about the atmosphere from the start. We follow Pippa & Gabe, a married couple who recently-ish moved into their dream seaside cottage. Unfortunately, the kitchen window looks out not just to a sweeping seascape view, but to “the drop”, a cliff where people come to end their lives. Since moving in, Gabe has somehow talked every single person who has come to the cliffs to stop, effectively saving them. Until now. Pippa watches out the kitchen window as a woman plummets into the sea. Gabe stands at the cliff. He couldn’t save this one. Or didn’t?….or?…..the secrets unravel on.

The mood of the book was gloomy and cold and ominous right out the gate, which I absolutely loved. I was hooked from the start. I could see this being a great tv show. So much drama and intrigue un-furrows, and in the end nothing is what it seemed. The problem for me is that I just didn’t care once I started figuring things out and meeting new characters. It’s a me problem- but I definitely wanted this to be way darker. It was a quick and easy (I had the audiobook), a light beach read style thriller/mystery. 3 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc audiobook, in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

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I was super excited for this book but found it lacking and repetitive. The book had a phenomenal idea and concept but the execution was not there in my opinion. Not my favorite.

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The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth ♥️

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Sally Hepworth has done it again! The Soulmate is a tremendously twisty mystery. Might even be able to classify as a bit of a psychological thriller.

This novel has many short chapters which switch POV’s and timeline. The use of these techniques help establish this as a fast pace thriller. I was hooked within the first chapter.

What I love most about Hepworth’s writing and storytelling is that the circumstances and plots are plausible. There are generally no plot holes, and she accomplishes this by making relatable characters and keeping dialogue concise. The fact that each chapter while short, helps to develop the story and further the plot, only furthers my enjoyment.

I was fortunate enough to 🎧 and Kindle read this one. Audio length is around 7 hrs 44 minutes and is enjoyable at up to 2x speed. Narration is done by Barrie Kreinik and Jessica Douglas-Henry.

I LOVE when there are multiple narrators because it truly becomes like a movie in your mind. As an American, audiobooks with accents can sometimes be difficult to consume at a faster pace, but in this case I couldn’t have asked for anyone better suited.

Overall this novel touches on mental illness, family secrets, infidelity, murder, while offering an unexpected HEA. If you are looking for a quick thriller to pack for Spring break, this is the one!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for advanced audio and readers copy in exchange for an honest review.


Book Blurb 🫧:
“Get ready for a thrilling, addictive novel about marriage, betrayal, and the secrets that push us to the edge in Sally Hepworth's The Soulmate.

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.

When Pippa discovers Gabe knew the victim, the questions spiral...Did the victim jump? Was she pushed?

And would Gabe, the love of Pippa’s life, her soulmate...lie? As the perfect facade of their marriage begins to crack, the deepest and darkest secrets begin to unravel.”

Pub Date: April 4th

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Do you ever fully know your husband? Gabe and Pippa left the city for a beautiful house on the cliff. What they didn't realize was that their spot on the cliff was a popular suicide spot. After talking 7 people off the literal cliff, Gabe finally loses his first person as they jump to their death. Or were they pushed?

These questions gnaw at Pippa as readers are taken from Pippa to the dead woman's point of view before and after. While usually a sucker for alternating timelines the before and after of a dead woman was apparently where I draw the line, it was too much and didn't add enough to the story to make the oddity worthwhile. There were also some twisty nuances that taken together had me struggling.

This dark, second guessing, suspense was a good read, narrated superbly well, but the underlying story was just not fully there for me.

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I found this book very predictable to a fault. I feel like we were told too much at the beginning and then the ending was not a big shock. I think the plot twist was obvious and depressing but still obvious and a bit dull.

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Loyalty. Fidelity. Two marriages are under the microscope in this new Sally Hepworth thriller. Gabe and Pippa claim to have loyalty keeping them together. Max and Amanda have cultivated fidelity. Or have they? Our story begins with a woman standing at the edge of the cliff just outside Gabe & Pippa's home. Seven times before Gabe has talked a suicidal person back from the edge. Will this woman be Number Eight? I really enjoyed this on audio. The two wives tell us the tale with Then and Now timelines for each. As a chapter begins, the narrator and setting are clearly noted. Two separate women are cast to read the book to us with distinctly different voices. This is my fourth read by Hepworth and all have been four or five stars for me. Be aware that mental illness and suicide are prevalent themes.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

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Good but not great. Bouncing around between two women and different timelines made it very difficult to keep track in the beginning about who and what was going on.

Storyline and plot were interesting but it all just sort of fell a bit flat.

I wouldn’t consider this thrilling more of a mystery.

The narration was great though.

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What can I say about this book other than I absolutely enjoyed the heck out of it and that always feels weird to say when death is a prominent feature in the story. But enjoy it I did. It’s hard to rate a book and rate the narrator. For me the narration felt off and I was lucky enough to have the hardback edition on hand, so I read most of it instead of listening.

I am not one who goes into a mystery or thriller looking for who done it. I have a tendency to get lost in mysteries and prefer the author to guide me along with each character as we fact find and discover. The number of twists in this book left me dizzy and delighted. I wasn’t expecting any of them and each time they were presented I yelled out loud and scared my Husky reading companion.

The premise of this book intrigued me and the blurb had me hooked before I even
opened the page. I honestly thought it would go one way, but this didn’t do anything I expected at all.
I liked being in both Pippa and Amanda’s POV in the present and in the past. The flips between time and tense ramped up the angst and danger of the women’s stories and created a need within in me to do nothing but finish this book.

I wasn’t expecting the romantic subplot we got but as a self-proclaimed hopeless romantic I don’t dismiss it at all. There are moments that hurt as I read them, and the end produced a few tears.

I honestly don’t know how to review this without giving everything away. This was my first book from the author, and I am definitely interested in browsing her backlist now.

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3.5 stars rounded up

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARC of this audiobook.

Gabe and Pippa live in their dream house. There’s just one downside…the cliff nearby is a popular suicide spot. Gabe has often gone out to talk to the people who come with this intention, and he’s been largely successful in helping them walk away. But one night, he’s not so lucky. When Pippa finds out who the woman was, the pieces start to fall apart even more.

I was really intrigued by the premise of the book, but as soon as the narrator’s POV changed I was disappointed. It wasn’t the narrator, I just don’t really enjoy books with that kind of perspective. However, I kept going, hoping I could get pst that. Both narrators had a then and now piecing together of how the story was unfolding. I was surprised by how things came together at the end, but I can’t say I really was satisfied by that. With everything leading up to it, it felt a bit rushed to make the final point.

Overall, it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

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I heard a lot of good things about this book but it fell a bit flat for me. I think I would have liked it better if I had physically read it, instead of listening to the audio. There was a lot of back and forth between different characters and time lines that was a bit hard to keep straight.
The twist at the end was okay but nothing earth shattering. Over all this one was just okay.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this audio.

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4.5 rounded up to a 5 star.

This is the first book I’ve read from this author and it honestly surprised me how much I enjoyed it. It wasn’t some huge thriller with a huge shocking twist but the story was written so well with little clues as to what was happening that it kept my interest until the very end. I will say that I was also surprised at the love story and the Romeo and Juliet type ending.

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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.

As far as the narrators, the person narrating the "Amanda" portions wasn't the right person for that role.

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The narration of this audiobook was amazing! The plot was great and I enjoyed the twists/unexpected information throughout the books. The chapters were short and the plot grabbed my attention which made it easy to get through.

We experience past and present POVs from two different women that all lead us to who are the soulmates and who fell off the cliff.

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Sally Hepworth does it again! I was thrilled when NetGalley let me have an ARC audiobook version of Sally's latest book. Main characters Pippa and Gabe buy a house that sits on the top of a cliff above the water, and Gabe gains a reputation for being a calm presence and talking people off the edge. It wouldn't be a Sally Hepworth book without surprise twists and turns, and one person found outside on the cliff is the start of a lot of twists and turns. The narrator was great. I listened to the whole book in 24 hours. I'm sorry not sorry about the times ignored those around me.

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I thoroughly enjoyed The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth, narrated by Barrie Kreinick and Jessics Douglas-Henry. This is a suspenseful story, narrated by two different women, bound together through an untimely and tragic death. Pippa is a successful attorney , as well as a married mother of two young girls. Amanda is the mysterious woman who is seen on the cliff that Pippa's home abuts. Chapters move back and forth from past to present, narrated through the perspectives of both women. There are secrets, lies, betrayals and, yes, as you can guess from the title, there is love, as well. But, who are the soulmates? Read this book to find out. If you enjoy twists and turns, mysteries, and suspense with a dash of psychological thriller, this well-written novel is a fantastic choice for you. Enjoy!

Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with an advance audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

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The Soulmate is a twisty new domestic thriller from Sally Hepworth.

"Pippa and Gabe live in a beach cottage on some tall cliffs. It has become a spot where several people have come to end it all. Gabe has been able to talk all of them back - so far. But one day, a woman jumps and is killed on the rocks below. When Pippa finds out that Gabe knew the victim she wonders - Did she jump? Was she pushed? Would Gabe - the love of her life - lie? As their marriage begins to crack, deep and dark secrets start to unravel."

I think this might be Hepworth's best novel yet. What seems like a simple, tragic event turns out to be so much more. Hepworth keeps adding layers and revealing secrets until we get the truth.
It is interesting that she uses the voice of the woman that jumped as a POV. She's not a ghost - not interacting with the other characters just giving a different perspective.

The team of Barrie Kreinik and Jessica Douglas-Henry do a fabulous job with the audiobook performance. Kreinik has narrated several of Hepworth's books and always does a fantastic job.
Be sure to read the author's note where SH tells where the idea for this book came from - long lockdowns in Melbourne and something about "marriage and murder"
I think this is the best work from Hepworth so far. A great option for your beach trips this summer.

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This was a great book! I really enjoyed it. It kept my attention and I did not want to stop listening! There was mystery, suspense and some surprises too. I'm a big Sally Hepworth fan and she did not disappoint with this one. Triggers: mental illness, suicide

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This book was full of tragic love stories. Interwoven with secrets, lies, infidelity, miscommunication, mental health troubles, and dark twists.⁣

I binged this thriller and I haven’t binged a thriller in a while. Two separate narrators, on two different paths woven together without realizing quite how much their lives have been woven. That ending, I never saw coming and my mouth dropped for a second. ⁣

This is a great psychological thriller but I also a kind of tragic romance/love story. The different things that can throw a wrench in a marriage and teach you how to navigate it or when it’s time to walk away.⁣

I went back and forth reading and listening and the narration was so well done and really brought this to life.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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✨𝐑 𝐄 𝐕 𝐈 𝐄 𝐖✨

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐩𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡

Thanks to @macmillan.audio @stmartinspress for the ALC! This was a really great audiobook & I appreciated the accents a lot 😍😂

👍🏼: I enjoyed that this story was told from so many different perspectives (even from the after life) & timelines before and after a situationnn 🫣 I was definitely suspicious of everyone along the way & didn’t see the surprise coming at the end. The story also tied up nicely (for some) & I always appreciate that in a mystery book!

👎🏼: I can’t really share my not favorite part of the book without spoilers - but if you’ve read, message me to chat!!!

Overall, this was a unique & super entertaining storyline & I definitely was excited every time I got to pick up this audiobook. I’d recommend if you’re into non-scary or disturbing mysteries with some good twists and turns along the way!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This one is out April 4th 👏🏼📚

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