A book full of twists and turns . Good and bad characters and is really intense . I couldn’t put it down.
What a book by Rona Halsall.
An addicting read and I thoroughly recommend it.

An amazing cat and mouse thriller/suspense that kept me going on from page one.

Reminding me of the Housemaid.

Definitely a book to put on your TBR

Ihave read most of Rona Halsall’s work and I always love her books. This felt a bit slow but still an enjoyable read. 4 stars from me.

Thanks boldwood and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and isn't influenced by anyone else

I have found most of this author's books to be slow burns. If you're willing to put in the time, you usually get a good payoff. I often prefer to jump right in when it comes to thrillers like this.

I absolutely love Rona's books but I did struggle a bit with this one to begin with but I stuck with it and as usual there was a good ending that wasn't expecting. Definitely worth a read

Firstly thank you to the publishers for my early access in exchange for a review.
I’ve reviewed a few of this authors books and this is definitely one of their strongest .
Thought provoking and well written

Holly hears someone playing the piano at a train station. He's playing her favourite Lenny Kravitz song. Throwing caution to the wind, Holly decides to sing alongside the piano player. Mark, the pianist, is absolutely wowed by Holly's voice. Holly believes he is her soulmate. Mark likes Holly too! But they both have secrets.

The pace is on the slow side in this tense and suspenseful thriller. I kept changing my mind on who the bad guy was. The secrets are slowly revealed in this twisted read. My interest was held throughout. I like Rona's writing style. I was quickly pulled into this story. The characters are well-developed. I loved Archie, he made me laugh.

Published 30th January 2025

I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #RonaHalsall for my ARC of #TheSoulmate in exchange for an honest review.

The Soulmate makes for a suspenseful mystery that keeps you turning the pages but ultimately left me with mixed feelings. 
On one hand, the author does a great job at building a tense, believable atmosphere. The suspense is palpable throughout the whole book, and the writing and prose are solid, as always from Halsall.
 
However, the plot’s reliance on withholding critical truths from the reader or misleading us with a character’s inner thoughts made the twists feel frustrating rather than satisfying. It’s a narrative technique I find off-putting; I feel like it undermines the sense of fairness in the mystery. Instead of feeling cleverly surprised, I was left questioning why the characters’ thoughts weren’t more reflective of their true motivations.
 
Interestingly, I felt more intrigued by Mark than the actual whodunnit plot.
 
Overall, The Soulmate is a decent read that I’d still recommend to fans of psychological thrillers who enjoy all the suspense, but with the caveat that it may not satisfy readers who prefer more grounded twists.

A quick, enjoyable read. For me this is a really middle of the road book - nothing about it particularly shocked me and it was sometimes a little difficult as none of the characters were likeable. BUT it kept me entertained and I don’t regret picking it up!

Title: The Soulmate
Author: Rona Halsall
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Pub Date: January 30, 2025
My Rating: 3.4 Stars
Pages: 323


Holly is on the run again when she is waiting for her train connection she walks in a nearby mall and hears a man playing a piano, singing her favorite Lenny Kravitz song ~ she joins in singing with him . . . . . .Awww love at first sight.
Fortunately Mark the piano player is drawn to her as well and soon they both believe they have found theirs she is his soulmate. The only problem is much as she is to him. He invites her for coffee and when she catches her train, Mark feels he is in love at first sight. Holly feels the same however; she is in a relationship with Finn- although it may not be a healthy relationship.

Holly is sure Mark is a better person for her. She is seriously thinking that Mark might be her answer to stop running and go back to her real name Erin Stamper rather than pretending to be Holly Rhodes. Holly is thirty-two and started to call herself Holly half a life time ago when she was sixteen. Holly’s thinking is her new identity is her future whereas Erin was the past she wants to forget.

This is my fourth author, Rona Halsall, the first was "The Bigamist" which I loved and immediately got on the Rona train and was ready for whatever she writes!
Ms. Halsall loves to turn domestic storylines on their head to keep her readers guessing as to what is going on.

Although this wasn’t a typical Halsall Wow – it was still good and I look forward to her next story!

Want to thank NetGalley and Boldwood Books for granting me this early thriller.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 30, 2025.

The story is just off, none of the characters are likable and I just don't care for the storyline. The title of the book does not match. I did not see any connection between the two and the fact that her picker is off means she did not learn anything from her relationships. The book has very short chapters but was very long winded. I felt like I was on a merry-go-round with how the story plays out.

I enjoyed this book. It did at times feel it needed some polishing, like parts still needed some editing. But I enjoyed the concept, the twist from each character, the way I never knew what to expect. The tension between characters. It kept me turning pages.

I will start by saying that i am a huge Rona Halsall fan, but this one didn't quite hit the mark for me. And speaking of Mark, he goes around the world, playing pianos in train stations, because, why not? When Holly passes by Mark playing the piano at Glasgow station, she can't help but stop and sing along. Very quickly, there is a strong and very obvious connection between Holly and Mark and, when Mark discovers that Holly is trying to run from an abusive and controlling relationship, he vows to help her flee to safety. Both Holly and Mark are convinced they have found their soulmate, but both of them have a dark past that the other knows nothing about - yet!

Once the two flee Scotland, the plot became messy and convoluted. It was still an enjoyable read and I do recommend it if you like a twisty thriller, but it felt maybe a bit rushed and as though it has bypassed some of the edit process. It absolutely won't deter me from reading Rona's future books as she is a brilliant, brilliant author!

3 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Rona Halsall and Boldwood for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Firstly a big thank you for my early access in exchange for a review .
I believe this is the first book from this author and will definitely be reading more!
I inhaled this in the bath .
Unpredictable ,fast paced ,exhilarating and will hit your senses as it’s go go go in the race for survival .
Don’t trust people or think things are greener on the other side .
Disturbing and unsettling this is a fantastic psychological thriller.
Will have you feeling tense and claustrophobic.
Highly recommend

digital ARC was provided by Netgalley and Boldwood Books

Oh my Gawd what a mess it was?!

Synopsis
Holly met Mark, Holly wanted to get away from her current life. Mark seemed like the perfect man for her for now. Mark and Holly harbor secrets that could ruin both of them.

What I like
Nothing.

What I don't like
Wasn't sure what I expected but definitely not this. It's supposed to be a straight up couple with secrets, but Halsall took a long route. Even then, it seems so ridiculous at best.
The characters irked me so much, all of them. They're stupid bunches with convenient ending.

Final thoughts
Not even for me to pass the time.

This needs a lot of work. Aurthor needs to better research Jehovahs Witnesses. They would never talk or do the things in this book. Its very disrespectiful. It needs rewritten big time!!

Thank you #netgalley for this ebook wow all I can say was this book kept me going again read this in two sittings the twist in this book love all books by this author cannot wait for more

The BRAND NEW psychological thriller from #1 bestseller Rona HalsallDo you believe in love at first sight?
Holly does, in spite of everything that’s happened in her life. Sometimes the thought that her soulmate is out there is the only thing that keeps her going.

Then she hears her favourite song being played. She’s drawn to where the sound is coming from, as if by a magnetic force. There is a handsome young man sitting at a public piano, who smiles at her, and she feels that spark she’s always dreamt of. She asks if she can join him, and sings along, seeing his face light up.

He’s called Mark, she later discovers. And he feels the same. They both feel like they’ve been hit with a thunderbolt. But even though it seems like they’ve known each other for lifetime, the truth is that they’re strangers.

Because Holly has secrets. And so does Mark.

And one of them might just kill to keep them…

I always enjoy this authors book so I couldn’t wait to sit down and read this and wow I was not disappointed. I loved everything about it was full of twists and turns which kept me gripped the subject of domestic violence was handle very good and the characters were believable, my feelings in each character kept changing throughout. As the story went on, I did find myself feeling sorry for Holly and was hoping she would get a happy ending. It was addictive thriller which I struggled to put down I needed to know how it was going to end. Overall great book with many twists and turns which I definitely will be recommending to everyone. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this great book.

I thought this book was amazing! I really connected with Holly and found her to be super relatable. There is domestic violence described which might trigger some. The storyline moved at a nice pace and the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat. I really think everyone should read this. Big thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc!!

Ohhh boy! What started out as a seemingly sweet gesture quickly becomes intriguing only to turn creepy. I flew through it. The short, easily read chapters quickly pulled me into the story; before I knew it, I’d finished it in an afternoon. Grab a drink, some snacks, and clear your schedule, when you curl up with this page turner, ‘cause you won’t want to put it down. I like how Rona Halsall writes and can’t wait for her next book.
Thank You to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rona Halsall for the opportunity to (guiltily) enjoy this ARC.