Before The Soulmate, I had somehow never read one of Sally Hepworth’s books? Not sure how that’s possible, because all of them are on my TBR. After The Soulmate? Sign me up to read her entire backlist.

The story itself is an all-too-familiar (to me, at least) narration of two families’ life when mental illness intrudes (as it does). Framed as how they’re related when someone jumps off a suicide cliff in Pippa & Gabe’s back yard. The writing is lyrical and flows like a perfectly-told story. The characters and book are both like onions—layers for days. Both Pippa/Gabe and Amanda/Max have their own love stories—vastly different, but both magical in a way that only true love knows, despite what happens toward the end of the book/after the book concludes.

I also love the world the author created within Pippa and Gabe’s community. The Pantry is a place I absolutely could see myself stopping at for coffee or lunch every day. I felt the emotion (both positive and negative) of having family living nearby and stopping by the house every day. And the neighbors with the flower garden? I wish ours were just like them.

Highly recommend this beautifully written novel.

Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio, and the author for a review (audio) copy of this book!

A well-constructed, fast-moving, twisty domestic drama about mental illness, marital infidelity, trust, hope, love, and forgiveness. The advance copy of this audio book was gifted to me by Netgalley and Macmillan Audio and was excitingly narrated by Australians Barrie Kreinik and Jessica Douglas-Henry. The plot development was tight except for a few passages of the wife wandering into what-if imaginings that slowed the story. But otherwise this story was well done and I highly recommend it.

After Pippa and Gabe move to their dreamhouse by the shore overlooking the cliff, a well known spot for jumpers, Gabe, loved by all has talked down multiple jumpers, but when the woman jumps and Pippa thinks she see's his hands and palms out stretched, she begins to wonder. Finding out this woman was Amanda, Gabe's ex boss wife spins Pippa into a tailspin of worry and twists.

Hepworth does not disappoint. Audio version kept me on the edge of my seat with great twists and turns and unpredictable paths. She intertwines a little mental illness as well, hats off to a good picture of Bipolar Disorder. Can't wait to meet Hepworth at the upcoming book signing coming to my town in a few weeks. Definitely do not miss this thriller.

thank you for Macmillan audio for this ARC.

This is a twisty yet heart breaking story all in one. This book has tragic love stories, reflecting dark sense of humor of Hepworth perfectly! Twists are mostly surprising and unforeseen! Especially the last one: broke my heart. This book is about what women can do when they are hopelessly and a little madly in love! Such a wonderful read. definitely grab it when you can.

read the whole thing via audio but never felt into it. brief synopsis: purportedly perfect couple saves people from suicide on a cliff. till maybe they’re not perfect, & maybe they don’t save people? content warnings for suicide and infidelity.

Sally Hepworth is the queen of twisty family drama! Her stories are layered and complicated and take me on such a ride every single time.

Gabe and Pippa seem to have it all. A beautiful family and home. Everything they have ever dreamed of. Then the unthinkable happens cliff side in their backyard when a stranger seems to jump. Is she a stranger though? Did she really jump?

This story is told from alternating voices and is like peeling an onion as they layers of the story are revealed. I loved the format, the different perspectives, and they way the entire story was carefully revealed.

I thought I had a handle on the entire story, and true to Sally’s style, the final twist took me by surprise. She has become a favorite author for me when I am looking for a twisty read that I will never quite figure out.

Barrie Kreinik and Jessica Douglas-Henry did a fabulous job narrating this story. Barrie is a favorite of mine and I will be looking for more of Jessica’s work. Their talent helped the power of the various perspectives stand out even more.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and MacMillan Audio for the copy of this book. All views are my own opinion.

Sally Hepworth does it again! I just finished listening to The Soulmate thanks to MacMillan Audio! This was a very quick read! With alternating chapters between Pippa and Amanda and dual timelines of Now and Then,

Hepworth Is known for her intricate plot-lines and her fondness for red herrings! This is at its core a book about two women who have woven their lives so deeply around their significant others. There are lots of lessons to be gleamed from this book and I highly recommend reading it. The pacing is perfect for holding the reader's attention. I listened to most of the book, but when it got late, I switched to the Ebook courtesy of St. Martin's Press so I could keep listening.

If you are a fan of Sally Hepworth, this is a must read

I know this is a wildly popular author but I just felt like this one fell a little flat. I kept waiting for something more. There were a couple twists but I felt like the book ended and I had unanswered questions. The narrator did a great job narrating the book. I give it 3 stars.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for giving me the chance to read #TheSoulMate by #SallyHepworth. My first book by Sally but not my last. This book was such a thrill ride from beginning to end and then the twists-amazing. Highly recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an early audiobook for this book in exchange for an honest review.

This follows around characters that had some twisted pasts. It focuses on two different people, Pippa, who has the perfect husband and the woman who she swears her husband has pushed off a cliff instead of helping her as he usually does with other suicidal people.

I think Sally writes the most twisted yet great stories, i had a good time with this one!

Wow, after reading this - I get the Sally Hepworth hype. This book sucked you in from the first page and kept you invested till the very end. I listened to this in one setting (during work) and never wanted to turn it off for a break!

Sally Hepworth is the absolute queen of domestic suspense, and her latest release was no different. The Soulmate not only has a stunning cover but also an extremely twisty and tense inside as well. There were so many twists and reveals packed into this one which took me by surprise in the very best way.

I'm pretty much convinced that short chapters should be a requirement for books that want to move at a quicker story pacing, and Hepworth executed that perfectly with this one. I listened to this on audio and really enjoyed the quick chapters and frequently shifting POV's (Pippa and Amanda) and timelines (before Amandas death and after). Getting told the pieces of a story from different perspectives with timelines both leading up to an event and afterwards are some of my very favorite, and made this one a quick listen for me in just a few sittings.

The Soulmate was definitely more of a character study and really dives deep into the intricacies of marriage and committed relationships, but worked super well for me. If you enjoyed any of this authors previous books, especially The Younger Wife, I recommend picking this one up!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for my early review copy!

I loved The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth, but like her book The Mother-in-Law, this book was just ok. The first half was compelling enough, leaving just enough mystery to make you want to keep reading. But then the storyline plateaued and I lost interest in the plot. I found the end anticlimactic and disappointing.

Also, it seems tactless in this day and age to sensationalize mental illness as a fearful aspect of an antagonist—which works to persist stigma instead of fight it.

The audiobook narration by the two women was fine and flowed nicely with their POVs.

Thank you NetGalley for ARC.

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth

Listening Time: 7 Hours, 44 Minutes, 34 Seconds
Narrators: Barrie Kreinik; Jessica Douglas-Henry
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Release Date: April 4, 2023

Fiction (Adult), Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Suicide

Gabe and Pippa bought the house of their dreams. The view out their window was a seaside cliff edge. The spot was known to the locals as a place they could jump to their death. Since they have been in the house there have been seven people that Gabe has saved. Now the eighth person is standing on the cliff edge. Gabe goes out to talk to the woman and Pippa goes for the telephone. Everything happens so fast and when Pippa looks again, Gabe is standing alone with his arms out. What happened to the woman?

The book has a fast pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in the first-person point of view. This is the third book I have read by this author. Her writing style is flawless and always leaves me wanting more.

While the author writes with a descriptive style that pulls the reader into the story as another character, the narrators bring the story to life. Having the different voices immerses the reader into the coastal village with the local accent. If you like dramas with quirky characters and unusual settings, you will enjoy reading this book.

Sally Hepworth is quickly becoming a must-read author for me. I really enjoyed this newest read from her. Multiple POVs can be tricky, but this one features one by the person who died. I thought that was wholly unique and a really interesting one to offer in this new psychological thriller. Gabe and Pippa are happily married. Yes, they have had some ups and downs, but their life in the cottage on the cliff seems to be pretty idyllic. That is until a recent suicide leaves Gabe despondent. Eventually he reveals he knew the woman, and this woman has connections to both Gabe and Pippa's pasts.

Slowly the story unravels, and you do wonder how truthful Gabe is being. Pippa seems like a suffering wife, but she is so wrapped up in her husband---even though he's pretty toxic. Lots of potential triggers for readers who may be sensitive to suicide/suicide ideation and mental health issues.

The audio is well done, but I do find the narrator voices to be quite similar. Sometimes I was a little confused if it was Pippa's perspective or Amanda's. Otherwise, I enjoyed it and looked for reasons to keep listening!

The Soulmate has a great setting, with a house on the cliff side which is site to many suicide attempts. But when Gabe, the homeowner goes out to stop a woman from jumping, he ends up not being able to save this one. Then it is discovered he knew the women. His wife Pippa, has many questions and is fearful that the woman didn’t really jump, and what will happen when the police discover the connection.

This book was great! It was exactly what I expected from Sally Hepworth. A lot of family drama, some great twists, some twists that were very obvious early on. I loved the different perspectives and I thought it was clever to add the POV from the woman that jumped, both before and after death. There is a lot of back and forth to before the jump and after, to help the book come together. Very well done! The narrator did a great job with this! I was so into it and did not find my mind wandering at all!

This is a story about two couples, one bound by love and a promise of faithfulness and one bound by a protective nature to protect someone you love and desire to keep your family intact. The narrators in this audiobook were awesome and really helped keep the b0ok going. This was a very quick read with a great twist at the end. Nicely done Sally Hepworth.

Reading Between the Wines book review #27/115 for 2023:
Rating: 3 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book 🎧: The Soulmate
Author: Sally Hepworth
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
RELEASES on April 4, 2023!!!

Sipping thoughts: I enjoyed how this book was written. I don’t remember reading a book that has been written by the POV of someone who has died (from the beginning of the story). I did not expect the connections of the characters to play out like it did. I don’t think this is a typical psychological thriller more of a domestic thriller. This is also not a favorite of Hepworth’s books but I enjoyed it enough.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @MacmillanAudio for an advanced copy of @TheSoulmate.

#TheSoulmate #SallyHepworth #MacmillanAudio #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

Wow - this was a strange one but I was hooked from the very beginning! I don’t know how to articulate my thoughts on this book. It rendered me speechless in the best way. I couldn’t stop reading and when I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it. I found this to be very unpredictable which left me desperate to know how it would come together at the end. We follow the perspective of two women and two timelines - before the fall and after the fall. I enjoyed both perspectives and the author supplied just enough information to keep me wanting more. I just wish it would have been a little more fast paced but overall a great mystery/thriller!

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this audiobook! The audiobook was well done with two great narrators that brought the two women POVs to life. The listening experience really added to my overall enjoyment of this book!

I always wonder if a book translates well to audio and this one was no exception.

Just like reading, a twist right until the very end. The amount of times I gasped and felt blindsided came as surprise to me. Sally did it again!!

I felt a roller coaster of emotions throughout the book. It took everything in me to put the book down to go about my daily tasks. I constantly felt the need to know more of what was to come in the book. I loved that about it.

The ending was more than I expected. It made me sad, it made me happy, it made me almost numb. It’s a book I know I will find myself thinking about for the next few days, wanting to discuss with people knowing I can’t quite yet!!

Huge thank you to Macmillan for the ARC audiobook via NetGalley!