Member Reviews
Is there such a thing as a soulmate? Is there someone who is designed especially for you? Amanda and Pippa both seem to believe this to be true. Amanda sees Max in that light while Pippa views Gabe as her life force. Appearances prove to be deceiving as truths are revealed and lives are changed forever. So many questions remain unanswered. Is Gabe a savior and hero? Is he merely misunderstood, or is something more sinister lurking beneath the surface of his benevolent facade? Lines between right and wrong are blurred as this slow burn domestic thriller unfolds. Secrets may be deadly and a lie may be more dangerous than the truth. The narration added an element of intensity and foreboding as the story switched from past to present. Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my audiobook.
I really enjoyed this book and was hooked right from the beginning. I found the storyline to be unique, a family who lives on the edge of a beautiful cliff that people come to when they are considering jumping. How interesting! I also enjoyed that we got to hear Amanda’s POV even after she died. Pippa was a very likeable character and I enjoyed watching the story unfold.
*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was one of the better mysteries i have read this year so far! Most of the things in this book were out of left field and i didn't see them coming! Would recommend!
This was my first Sally Hepworth novel and I was pretty pleased. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC for an honest review. Giving this a 3.5. The novel goes back and forth, past and present between 2 characters, Amanda and Pippa. Pippa and her hubby lives by the infamous cliff, known for many attempted suicides. Hubby has the reputation of talking people off their intent but this time, there was a successful jump by a woman. As a reader, you’re trying to determine if the woman actually jumped off the cliff or was she pushed? And what was the connection between the two?
Definitely a fast read/listen. Finished it in 2 days. Short chapters and a page turner. What else could you want?
This book is like juicy, small town gossip, and I am here for it. Gabe and Pippa have a relationship out of passion where Pippa would go to the ends of the earth for Gabe. Pippa looks past his ‘issues’ and is there for him no matter what. Amanda and Max have a relationship that is more ‘business’, but their devotion to one another is more solid than what Gabe and Pippa give to each other. While I love a relationship filled with passion, I had more respect for Max and Amanda’s marriage. I loved the POV from Amanda most, because hers felt truly honest. I didn’t love Pippa because she made excuses for Gabe’s behavior, because he was ‘her soulmate’. I didn’t love the ending twist, it almost seemed like another ploy to excuse shitty behavior, but I’ll let others come across their own thoughts organically. Overall, I gave this book a 4/5, because while I did enjoy it quite a bit, I did not love it.
The Soulmate is a twisty psychological thriller full of suspense, domestic drama, and intrigue. Sally Hepworth has done it again. I can always count on her for a solid and enjoyable read. I rated this one 3.5 stars. It started off strong with an interesting and suspenseful delivery. It has plenty of suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat. Overall, I felt the first half of the book was solid, but the ending left me feeling underwhelmed.
While I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for a review, all opinions remain my own. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian audio for the opportunity to listen to this novel.
My review: 3.5 stars
This was a wild ride of a book. I never saw the ending coming and while I did enjoy the story overall, it felt a bit over the top. As someone who is in a relationship with someone with bipolar, the disease was painted a little bit inaccurately. I guess that could be the case for some people, but not for my husband. It made me uncomfortable. That's why the deduction in stars for me. I also hated that Pippa lied to her husband about such a big thing in their marriage. The whole thing could have been avoided if she were just honest. I guess that is part of the story, but it is still so frustrating to read that. It was a good book and I enjoyed it, but won't be reading it again.
When Pippa and Gabe moved to their dream house, they couldn’t imagine that the cliff near their home was a well-known place where people could jump to end their lives. Every time a person has been dangerously close to the edge, Gabe has been able to go outside and talked them off. But when Gabe isn’t able to save a woman, their lives are changed forever.
The main character is one that we all know too well: a gullible woman who falls deeply in love with a seemingly perfect man and that is going to do anything and everything for him.
The plot is intriguing and the setting is engrossing. Chapters alternate between Pippa and Amanda, the dead woman (which I thought was very interesting) and between the past and the present. Even though I guessed some things, I really enjoyed the rest of the story and the turns and twists at the end.
Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy. I listened to this one and the narration by both Barrie Kreinik and Jessica Douglas-Henry was great!
CW: suicide and mental illness.
This is my 4th book by this author and my favourite so far remains The Good Sister, but I have to say, she certainly knows how to write a book that's difficult to put down until you finish it. I really did not put the pieces of this book together at all while reading and was definitely keen to get to the end and find out how it all played out. Books like this are a perfect airplane/vacation/beach read and this one will be popular this summer for that understandable reason.
The audiobook was well narrated and easy to follow despite several perspectives. If you enjoyed The Younger Wife, I think you'll enjoy this new one too and there are fewer characters to keep track of as well. I know that I, for sure, will never look at a cliff edge quite the same way again 😮
I really, really liked The Soulmate. It starts with someone intentionally stepping off a cliff. As we get the back story to the why and how the character came to be at this place, we find out about some deep secrets that link unlikely characters together.
The Soulmate was definitely more than an average thriller. The twists are truly unexpected and shocking. Definitely grab this one!
The Soulmate
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Thriller
Author: Sally Hepworth
GR: 3.99
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
My Thoughts: This was a captivating thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I absolutely devoured the audiobook in less than 48 hours. Pippa and Gabe have been married for 7 years with 2 daughters and just purchased a house that rests near a cliffside that is both beautiful and dangerous. Unfortunately, this cliffside is a popular suicide point. Gabe becomes a local hero talking people down the cliff until he doesn’t. Is her husband who he seems? Can their love sustains his horrible tragedy?
Content warning of infidelity and mental health. This story is told in a dual POV, by Pippa and Amanda (dead) in two timelines, past and present. The past fills in the gaps for the future. While there is a central mystery happen, this more character driven than plot driven. The plot is very interesting premise. The characters were well explored and developed with mystery, intrigue, and creative. The author’s writing style is suspenseful, twisty, and brilliant. This is my first Hepworth book but will not be my last, I have added her backlist to my TBR.
I highly recommend picking up the audiobook on this one. This book is full of betrayal, deceptions, and secrets revolving around two couples. When you think you have it figured out, another plot twist with a surprising evening. I was invested in the story and it was hard to stop listening/reading once I started, I had to know how it ended, what the twists were. The narrators were top notch, really drew you in and keeps you engaged. The voice variation was fantastic. Go pick up this book today at the store or the library!
Gabe and Pippa live with their small girls just near the "Cliff" that has become a popular suicide spot. Gabe has become semi-famous for saving many who have come to end their life... until one night he is not successful. A few days later when Pippa realized Gabe knew the latest victim, she begins to question many things, including what really happened that evening and what she thinks she saw. The story is told from Pippa's view and Amanda's view (the victim) both then and now. There are so many things that don't make sense until the very end and it all wraps up in a very interesting way.
The narrators did a very good job that made for easy listening.
Sally Hepworth's newest novel was a good domestic suspense. It was not the best book by her that I have ever read, but I do look forward to the next book that she publishes. I didn't put things together until the last 1/3 of the book. The narrator was great. Very easy to listen to and kept me in suspense.
I received the advanced audio book Soulmate from NetGalley for my honest review. OK I'm sorry I have read other people's reviews and was wondering if I listened to the same book. Love Sally and don't want to put out any spoilers for other readers. I was totally disappointed with the ending. The book was a good mystery with enough twists and turns. However the ending took a bad dip for me, not as exciting as the rest of the book. My favorite character was Amanda the dead person. The book actually frustrated me. The Narrators Barrie Kreinik, Jessica Douglas-Henry were great they made the book easy listening. I enjoyed them more than the book. That is my honest review.
Anytime I pick up a book by this author I know I am in for a great read and this was no exception. A seemingly happy family are living their best lives in their dream home. What happens when their marriage starts to show some cracks in its veneer? Can she trust and believe the man she has built a family and lie with? This is a smart, dark, well crafted, suspenseful seriously creepy story with many twisted turns all the way through the end. Don’t want to give anything away, but wow! I listened to the audiobook and the narration was wonderful and added to the experience.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I have only read a couple Sally Hepworth novels but I have enjoyed the ones that I have read so I was excited to be able to read and review The Soulmate. I ended up enjoying this book even more than the others.
Imagine buying a home and then finding out that the cliff the house is on is a favorite spot where people go to end their lives. Lucky for for you your husband has a way with people and he has been able to just listen to the people and calm them down enough to turn around and get help..... that is until he isn't able to. If you think things can't get worse, they can as it turns out both Pippa and her husband know the woman. Pippa can feel that something isn't right but she doesn't want to believe that her husband Gabe could have anything to do with it.
Told in two POV's by the fantastic narrators Barrie Kreinik and Jessica Douglas-Henry this story will keep you interested until the end.
Many thanks to my friends at @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for the #gifted copies.
Brilliantly layered and full of intrigue. Hepworth delivers another page turner that I couldn't look away from.
Two marriages. On the outside, the very picture of perfection. But secrets and betrayals leave us wondering: Are they truly soulmates?
Compulsively readable. With short chapters and alternating point of view, I found myself entrenched in this mystery, dedicated to unraveling the details. The way Hepworth plays with perception is always a treat, and I found her skills superbly executed in this latest foray.
And then there’s also something about the way she writes relationships and families. The dialogue, the emotion, the miniscule details of home life. There’s an authenticity to the characters as individuals as well as how they interact within the unit.
I am a huge proponent of quality mental health representation, and in The Soulmate, Hepworth nails it. There is a sensitivity to the execution alongside quality depiction of both illness and treatment.
Hepworth knows how to captivate and never disappoints. I’m confident The Soulmate will be eagerly welcomed by fans of domestic suspense.
🎧 I enjoyed this one in both print and audio formats. I must admit that I’m a sucker for a great accent, and the narration by Barrie Kreinik and Jessica Douglas-Henry was like music to my ears.
This is the third book I've read by Sally Hepworth, and she hasn't disappointed yet. While The Soulmate seems to focus on one marriage, it's really the story of two marriages, narrated by the two wives - Pippa and Gabe are the primary couple, and do indeed seem to be soulmates from their first meeting. Amanda and Max are the second couple - their marriage started out as more of a marriage of convenience. But this is a Sally Hepworth book, so it's no surprise that things aren't always what they seem with either couple. It's one of those books that's difficult to review without revealing too much. Suffice to say that it's a bit of a roller coaster, both for the characters and for the reader, with revelations sprinkled throughout. It kept me intrigued and guessing throughout. I listened to the audio version - the two narrators did an outstanding job of voicing the two wives.
As I said, this was my third book by Sally Hepworth and it served to confirm that I really do need to get busy and read the rest of them.
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a copy for an unbiased review.
We trust people based on the strangest, most arbitrary things, none of which have any bearing on whether or not you are inherently good. The Hegartys have no idea what we are capable of. No one does.
Mental illness, infidelity, an illegitimate child, and now, criminal behavior–packaged up as a happy family day at the beach…Gorgeous husband. Adorable little girls. Great sex. Soulmates, with a connection that I’ve never seen in another couple…marrying your soulmate was reckless. A commitment like marriage was best treated like a contract, with a list of terms and conditions, and the potential to extricate yourself if the terms were breached.
The thing about marriage a lot of people don’t understand is that you don’t get everything. Some people get passion, others get security. Some get companionship. Children. Money. Wisdom. Status. Then there is trust and fidelity. They’re the two you hear most about. In general, couples will cite trust or fidelity as their nonnegotiable. In a lot of cases, a partner will offer once in exchange for the other. But Gabe and I have always agreed on our nonnegotiable. Loyalty.
One thing I’ve learned about happy endings is that they don’t always look the way you’d expect. In some cases, a happy ending involves the couple walking off into the sunset together. In others, a happy ending is when, after years of lying to themselves, a couple goes their separate ways. Sometimes, the road to our destination leads us in a direction we don’t want to take. But does it matter, in the end, if it gets us where we want to go?
Sally Hepworth is a genre unto herself–funny books about family, marriage and murder–and The Soulmate is no exception; it’s exceptional!
Every new year, I look forward to a new Sally Hepworth story, and this lived up to my expectations.
I finished this within about three days of starting because I couldn't put it down. I love domestic thrillers because of the inside look it gives me into the lives of others. Pippa and Gabe had great chemistry and part of me hoped it wouldn't be too good to be true. But I loved how Hepworth spun their story, showing that, unfortunately, you don't always really know a person.
I thought the chapters dealing with Amanda, both present and current, were a really great addition. I've never read a book that has the POV of someone who has passed and found myself looking forward to more of them to see how they'd be executed.
This was another story that really just took me for a ride. While I tried to make some guesses as to what was going on, they were few and far between. I was more concerned with getting to the end and hoping throughout that Pippa would still end up with all the good things she deserved. Which, some did come and I hope more are on their way, off page.
The Soulmate was a truly enjoyable story and solidified Hepworth as a must-read author for the rest of time.