Member Reviews
I want to thank Netgalley and the author for the ARC.
The story was nice and it kept you hooked wanting to know what was going to happen next.
We get presented to two unfortunate souls with their respective past traumas who meet by chance in a station. Mark is a dashing pianist who falls in love with Holly (our protagonist) at first sight and the rest is history. Don’t want to spoil the rest so you’ll just have to read it. This is a thrilling rollercoaster who’ll keep you guessing till the end. 3.5 stars
I was really engaged throughout this book as there always seemed to be a deeper layer to the characters that I wanted to dig into. There were plenty of subtle hints into their pasts that made me want to know more.
That being said, I wasn't particularly keen on all the characters seeming to have such a victim mentality, it started to feel a bit repetitive. But I was still engaged and enjoyed the read.
A very different read from this author than her previous books, dark, twisty and extremely well written.
I was wondering who you can trust whilst reading this, very dark and well written characters
Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this great ARC which I have no hesitation in recommending.
Thank you Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Rona Halsall for the eArc of The Soulmate.
I've read a few of Rona Halsall's books and I really enjoy her writing style and her foreshadowing. The Soulmate is the best yet by this author and is full of tension, twists and turns and the finale was well worth the build up. I really enjoyed the characters, they weren't very likeable but for me, is what makes it all the more interesting, because you are constantly wondering who to trust, or not.
If you like medium paced, domestic psychological thrillers, then this one will scratch that itch!
4.5 stars for Netgalley, 4 stars for other review sites.
Dark, clever and twisty this captivating read holds you by the throat and keeps you there right until the chilling epilogue. It was hard to know which character to believe and just when I thought I'd worked it out another twist came along. This is a change of direction for Rona and is, in my opinion, her best work so far.
This was written in a slightly different style/way to this authors other books but that didn’t detract from it being just as fabulous as always with this author. This authors books should come with a warning do not start reading if you have things to do as once I had started reading I couldn’t put down.
This was a brilliant suspense thriller that also dealt with some difficult issues and brought them out into the open. I was gripped from the very first page.
Highly recommend this author.
The Soulmate by Rona Halsall is a twisty thriller that leaves the reader having no idea who to trust! It’s a masterful tale and sure to keep the reader enthralled if you like novels that keep you guessing. I highly recommend this book.
Holly hears a man playing a piano, singing her favourite song, and is immediately drawn to him. She finds out he is called Mark and truly believes he is her soulmate, luckily he feels the same. The only problem is that they both have secrets. Will they end up as perfect for each other as they first thought?
Having discovered this author fairly recently and really enjoying the books I have read so far by her, I was excited to get my hands on her new thriller. She hasn’t disappointed so far! I was drawn into this book after the first few chapters and was really engaged with the writing style and overall mystery.
The character’s are strongly written, I honestly never knew who to trust and where the story was going. I enjoy it when thrillers start to go in unexpected, unsettling directions and Rona Halsall always manages to do this well. The ending comes together well and all in all, this was another very satisfying, entertaining thriller. Thanks to NetGalley and this publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.
This was a very tense read, throughout the book I was changing my mind constantly about who I should be believing.
Holly and Mark meet when he's playing the piano at Glasgow Railway station, she joins him to sing and then they go for coffee. Mark wants to meet again but Holly explains her boyfriend Finn is very jealous. From the start I sensed that they both were withholding secrets from each other but could never have imagined how big those secrets could be or the consequences of their actions.
Another brilliantly written thriller from Rona.
I will leave my review on Goodreads, Bookmory and Storygraph now and on Amazon on publication day
What a twisty read! Just when I thought I had it figured out, it turned again.
Holly is running form her past, but on the way she makes mistakes by putting her trust in people with secrets of their own.
This was my first book by Rona Halsall, but I would definitely read others by this author.
I did not feel this book was up to Rona's normal standards. Holly believes she has found love at first site in a man that was playing the piano. He agrees and follows her in attempts to rescue her and live happily ever after. But she is not what he expects. He is not what she expects. They both have dark secrets and both think they are in charge. It was just too weird for me. The whole situation about each character, his mother etc.
The Soulmate starts with Holly meeting Mark during a secret errand, and their instant connection throws her life into turmoil. Holly returns to her possessive and abusive boyfriend, Finn, but the spark she felt with Mark lingers, leaving both Mark and Holly overwhelmed by their feelings.
Initially, I struggled to get into the story. I didn’t find either character particularly likable, and Holly’s willingness to believe Mark’s lies felt a bit far-fetched. However, about 45% of the way through, the book hooked me. From there, I finished it in one sitting as the pace really took off.
There was one slight loose end, which would have been solved by omitting a few lines, but it wasn't too distracting.
I appreciated how the story broke away from the typical psychological thriller formula with it's multiple twists and turns throughout the book. Even though it wasn’t perfect, the unique structure and constant surprises made it an enjoyable read in the end.
Rona Halsall strikes gold with The Soulmate! This psychological thriller is a rollercoaster of emotions, suspense, and jaw-dropping twists. Holly and Mark’s magnetic connection is as captivating as it is dangerous, and the secrets they hide kept me guessing until the final page.
The tension is perfectly crafted, blending romance with a dark, foreboding edge. Every revelation hits hard, making this a true page-turner. Fans of Gone Girl and You will love the chilling game of trust and betrayal.
If you’re looking for a gripping read that will keep you up all night, The Soulmate is it. Highly recommended! 🎹❤️🔪
I was hooked and then hooked again. Must read for thriller and could not put it down. Enjoyed this one. I will find more books from this author.
Holly has escaped from her boyfriend Finn for a few hours and sees a man playing the piano. In a past life Holly, as she is now, loved music and can’t help but sing along with him. They go for a coffee before Holly has to get her train back and ensures that the performance stays private, away from any social media. Finn is rather controlling and she already has bruises. Mark is smitten and is determined to help her but doesn’t realise quite what he is getting into. When Holly steals herself into his car things take rather a turn.
OMG! Who to trust? I thought I liked certain characters to begin with (clever writing!) and then found myself rather unsettled as to who was the good guy or the bad. This is a read with lots of twists and turns and it made for one heck of a read. Fiction is just that and doesn’t always have to follow real life but who knows what goes on behind closed doors? It's clever, it's very very engaging and maybe teaches us not to be so trusting until we really know someone. A brilliant, twisty read I most thoroughly enjoyed.
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My Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5
This book was a little too all over the place for me with characters that I didn't particularly like. Sure, on the surface Holly seems like the kind of character that you should be rooting for after the hard life that she has been dealt, but the deeper into the story I got, the more I began to realize that she brought a lot of her misery down on herself. I also hated the way she was constantly second guessing herself even when she knew something wasn't right. And then we have Mark, who on the surface seems like a wholesome guy, but at the same time you get the feeling he isn't exactly who he pretends to be. The fact that he immediately dropped everything and drove seven hours to "rescue" someone he had just met was an immediate red flag to me.
Of course, as the story goes on more things start to make sense and we learn more about these characters and their pasts, as well as the lies they have told over the years. This for me is when things really started to fall apart and I think that was due in part to the author (to borrow a phrase from the story itself) having to many spinning plates in the air at once. Instead of being a slow burn reveal of what is actually going on, the book hurls towards its inevitable conclusion at breakneck speeds.
This book does leave one tiny side thread unanswered (and that's what happened to the chef where Holly used to work), but overall, that wasn't really a big deal for me. The bigger question for me was the dedication. Why was the book dedicated to widows missing their other halves when this book really didn't have anything to do with that (except a vague mention for one of the side characters).
However, despite it falling short for me, I was able to read it in less than two days and I do believe it will appeal to others, especially those who don't mind knowing right off the bat that things are definitely not what they seem.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
Holly seems to be in love with love, so when she meets Mark she is convinced he is her soulmate.....BUT..
Both Holly and Mark have secrets. which is what makes this a riveting read. It is pacy with a few OMgish moments and a lot of drama.
This book reads like a made for TV movie. It is intense and I was hooked.
The Soulmate
A captivating thriller with heart racing twists! A tale of love, lies and obsession will keep you glued to your seat!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this
Every girl dreams about meeting her prince charming and more than once you think you have met him. In seems after a while though he really only was a toad and you should never have kissed him, but it's too late. You made your bed and you know the rest of the saying.
It does not stop you from looking and secretly hoping he will still cross your path one day and finally that day has come for Holly. She never thought she would be this lucky.
There are still a few bridges to cross, but it seems like they can live their happy ever after. There is only one slight detail though: the secrets they both hide and want them to remain exactly that: hidden..
Sometimes it starts with a dream and ends in a nightmare... This was such a story and I could not stop reading. Not all that glitters is gold... is what I retain here.
Fabulous book by a fabulous author. 5 stars
Thank you
OMG! What have I just read! This book is amazing!!! I loved the storyline, I loved the characters, the good ones & the bad ones. There's so many twists and turns, this book will have you staying up reading well into the night. I read this in one sitting. Definitely 5 stars from me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️