While I liked the beginning of this book, I had trouble following all of the twists and turns at the end. I didn't love this audiobook but will still give Sally Hepworth another try when she writes her next book.

Hepworth's books always keep one at the edge of his/her seat, and this one is no different. Centering around a suicide and exploring the themes of fidelity, trust, and loyalty, this novel follows two marriages told through the eyes of the wives.

While Pippa could be a little annoying at times, Hepworth does a great job weaving together the past and present with lots of great suspense and plot twists.

Though not my favorite Hepworth, it was definitely a fun and easy read.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook and reader copy of The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth in exchange for an honest review. I'm not sure why I've become so addicted to mystery and thrillers lately, but this was a good addition to the collection. It also gave some good information about mental health. I enjoyed this book and loved the ending.

The Soulmate
Sally Hepworth
Gabe and Pippa Gerard appeared to have the perfect life. They have been married seven years and have two daughters. When they moved to a small coastal town close to Melbourne. Her family followed them to the town. Gabe is a stay-at-home father and Pippa is an estate lawyer. They found their dream home perched on a tall cliff. The cliff in front of their house is a popular suicide spot; individuals find their way to the cliff with thoughts of ending their lives. Gabe has become well known for talking to jumpers and convincing them life is worth living. One evening a woman arrived at the cliff. Gabe was talking to her then she was gone, Pippa looked out the window just in time to see Gabe’s hands held palm up stretched out in front of him; it seemed unusual. Then came the doubts. The death was ruled suicide, but something just didn’t seem right. Then Pippa discoverers both she and Gabe knew the woman (Amanda) and this could destroy their idyllic life. Gabe used to work for Amanda’s husband, Max. doesn’t believe she would ever commit suicide.
A couple of things jumped out at me as I listened to this audiobook. What family in their right mind would purchase a house sitting on a cliff when they have two young children. Gabe had a need to take care of people.
The story is told from two points of view: Pippa and Amamda the woman on the cliff, now dead. We discover Pippa’s marriage is not as perfect as we first thought. Slowly details are exposed. It is not until the end that we the readers discover the truth behind both marriages. All marriages have challenges, but Gabe and Pippa’s challenges are numerous. They believe they kept them well hidden. This tale is character driven. Kudos to Sally Hepworth for a superb tale.

Sally is a master. This book was fabulous but won’t be for everyone. I was listening to this book on the fastest speed I could handle because I was on the edge of my seat.

This is my first time reading a novel by Sally Hepworth, but it is obvious to see why she is so popular. The short chapters, many of which ending with a plot twist, kept me engaged throughout the book and I ended up finishing it in one sitting.

Ultimately, this was a 3.5 read for me and I’ve rounded up on account of Hepworth’s writing style.

The Soulmate tells the story of two marriages told through two wives, Pippa and Amanda. Centered around one suicide, the novel explores themes of fidelity, trust, and loyalty.

While I loved the premise and found the story fairly unique, I found myself frequently frustrated with Pippa (the primary POV). For a character who is seemingly rational, she is pretty clueless. At times her decisions made zero sense to me & with out going into spoilers I didn’t understand how she was so oblivious to things around her.

I’d recommend The Soulmate to lovers of domestic suspense or anyone looking for a quick read that will keep them on the edge of their seats.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my Advanced Reader Copy of The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth. Publication date: April 4, 2023.

This was the fifth Sally Hepworth book I’ve read/listened to. She is officially a must read author for me. Her characters are so compelling to me because of their flaws. I really like the peek into (dysfunctional) love between two characters of grandparent age. I was very proud of the main character for the choices she made at the end.

Release date April 4th in the US. Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced audio copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve read and will continue to read all of Sally Hempworth’s books. While this wasn’t my favorite of the bunch, that still goes to The Good Sister and Mother in Law, it was easy to binge, clearly written and full of family drama, secrets and lies. I loved the dual narratives, past and present timelines and short chapters, which tactically built suspense and left bread crumbs that kept me guessing and questioning my predictions. I will say that I found the ending a bit anticlimactic, and I wasn’t as shocked by it all as other reviewers. Still, I was never bored! The audio was great and really enhanced my reading experience.

Read if you like:
-Domestic suspense
-Short chapters
-Ghost figures
-Coastal Australia setting
-Couple keeping secrets trope

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth is an intriguing book. I loved that we heard from Amanda - I found this to be a new take on this type of book (to me at least), which I thoroughly enjoyed. I did find that I was a tad bored in the middle of the story and not really shocked by the revelation at the end, which is why I rate it 3.5 stars. I rounded it up to 4 because I liked the ending.

Barrie Kreinik and Jessica Douglas-Henry are both great narrators. They have range in their voices for the various characters that are distinct.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ALC.

A longtime favorite author of mine, Hepworth delivers another intriguing novel, this one more a family drama than a thriller. Gabe and Pippa live in a cottage overlooking the ocean, just next to "The Drop," a spot that's earned its nickname due to its unfortunate popularity with suicidal jumpers. Gabe has developed a knack for talking many off the ledge, but one day his efforts fail. Pippa, who looked up from their window just as it happened, can't fight the sinking feeling that there's more to the suicide than meets the eye, and that Gabe is involved in her death. Told through alternating chapters from Pippa's point of view and that of the now-dead woman, we begin to peel back the family's secrets and dark shadows.

I found it entertaining throughout, and having a dead person provide an after-life commentary lent a fresher approach than most thrillers. While I wasn't surprised to find it well written, as with all of Hepworth's books, I did find I would have benefited from having a few areas fleshed out to better understand the characters and and to connect to the secrets they had hidden. There's one pivotal moment that shaped the bulk of the characters' motivations, and for being such a central moment, I'm not entirely sure I fully understand how it came to pass.

This one gets four stars from me for being compulsively readable and engaging, just one star removed from a perfect rating for a slight lack of emotional attachment or high tension. Heads up to some that mental illness and suicide are central topics and could be triggering to many, but there are no surprises in this book as it's clear from the novel's book blurb. For thriller and mystery lovers who enjoy a quick read, go ahead and put this one on your TBR.

According to Sally Hepworth, the Soulmate is “A murderous love story.”

Told in four different timelines, Then/Before and After/Now, Pippa and Amanda describe their relationships with their husbands. Both claim to have married their soulmate, but only one woman succeeded. Is it Pippa or Amanda?

When a woman falls to her death from the cliffs outside of Pippa and Gabe’s new home, It is deemed a suicide. However, Gabe knows more than he lets on about this woman’s last minutes alive. Known as the “suicide whisperer,” Gabe has a talent for talking jumpers off of the ledge. He’s been successful until now, so why couldn’t he save her?

Secrets, danger, and betrayal haunt Pippa and Amanda’s marriages. When the cracks surface, their lives will begin to unravel.

Like all of Hepworth’s previous domestic thrillers, The Soulmate is fast-paced and compulsively readable from beginning to end. I listened to the audiobook while simultaneously reading the the book. Both formats are enjoyable, but I especially enjoyed the audio version, which was narrated by Barrie Kreinik and a Jessica Douglas-Henry. I flew through this book at lightning speed!

While I overall really enjoyed this book (it’s written by Sally Hepworth, so of course it’s enjoyable), a few plot points had me scratching my head at the end.

- The psychiatrist’s misdiagnosis seemed obvious.
- The characters’ dumb choices: Buying a house on a cliff known to be popular for suicides when you have two young daughters and a strange instance of infidelity
- The lack of policing is astounding.
- The twist at the end was a bit underwhelming.

Regardless, none of these issues was a dealbreaker and did not prevent me from enjoying this book. Popcorn thriller junkies will devour this one!

Trigger warnings: Suicide, mental illness

4/5 stars

Expected publication date: 4/4/23

Thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss, St. Martin’s Press, and MacMillan Audio for the ARCs of The Soulmate in exchange for an honest review.

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. Wonderful narration by Barrie Kreinik and Jessica Douglas-Henry.

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.

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.
Barrie Kreinik's narration was wonderful. The story flowed as she gave voice to each character (even the children, which is not often my experience). Her performance enhanced the novel.
Thanks to Macmillan audio for allowing me to listen early!

I love it when I’m wrong. Judging by the summary of the book I did not think I was going to like this book. Not only did I like it, I loved it!

Gabe and Pippa bought a coastal home with a cliff that has become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Gabe has always been able to talk them down and save their lives. That is until Amanda shows up and Pippa thinks Gabe may have pushed her.

In every chapter you were learning so much about Gabe, Pippa, and everyone around them. What you learned varied from mundane information to shocking twists. You have a few different narratives and timelines that you are learning from. One is from Amanda’s point of view, after she fell which was very interesting.

I had more and more questions as this book went on and I was intrigued at every step. I could not believe how sucked into this world I got. I can not recommend this one enough.

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. The audio version successfully held my attention and conveyed the urgency of the plot. Ideal for fans of Wendy Walker and Lisa Unger.

This was my second book by Sally Hepworth and I just loved it. I got this book as an audio ARC from NetGalley and I am so happy that I did. This book has been one of my most anticipated reads of 2023 so I was super excited to listen this early copy. I just loved it! What an engaging, original concept.
This story is about a couple, Gabe and Pippa, who live in a house on the coast, that happens to be right by a huge cliff. This cliff is famous for people jumping off it to commit suicide. But at the same time, Gabe, is known for going out to the cliff when he sees people about to jump. He literally talks them off the ledge. But this one day, when a woman was standing on the edge, he talked to her for hours out there, but she still ended up jumping anyway. Or did she? And who was this woman? Did Gabe know her? There are many secrets involved in this story, which in turn gives many surprises and twists along the way.
This book was great! I loved it. I listened to the audio version of this and loved it. The two narrators were great. I loved the writing, The originality of the plot, and the suspense kept me wanting more the whole time I was listening it. I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend it to anyone. This was a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars for me!
I want to thank NetGalley and McMillan Audio for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Pub Date: April 4, 2023

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!

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!

A thrilling, complex story filled with grief and secrets - Sally Hepworth does not disappoint with "The Soulmate"! I was shocked at the ending!