BEYOND….loved loved loved….Sally Hepworth is a master story teller! I can’t wait to read her next book….incredible! Thank you!

After not loving The Younger Wife, The Soulmate brought me back to many things I love about Sally Hepworth's books. While they're billed as suspense or thriller, they're really in a category I've made up: family drama thriller. The story is often a split; there's something in the conventional suspense category (in this case, a suspicious suicide) - but as the story unravels, there is something more going on within the central character's family. I love both family dramas and thrillers, so this mix works perfectly for me.

I usually do not read thrillers, but I am so glad that I read this book. With short chapters, many twists and turns, and believable characters, I was engaged until the surprising end. The plot was both original and suspenseful. I am definitely going to read more Sally Hepworth books.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for the advanced reader copy of this book.

One of the things I really like about Sally Hepworth's books is that there is usually an interesting theme beyond the obvious main plot. In the Soulmate, on the surface, the main plot is that Gabe and Pippa have a house on a cliff just by a know suicide spot. Gabe has on multiple occasions intercepted people attempting to jump and talked them down. But then someone shows up and he fails to stop them.

Beyond that, I think this book is really about marriage. About the give and take within a marriage. What makes certain marriages work. Most likely, there is no such thing as "the perfect marriage" where you "can have it all". It's about compromise, about finding out what is non-negotiable, and of course hard work and dedication.

Great book. I couldn't put it down.

Note: I received a complimentary review copy of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

BOOK REVIEW

#bookstagram loves Sally Hepworth.

I have only read one other, and I thought it was fine, but wasn’t blown away. Still, I am a big believer in giving authors multiple chances, so when @stmartinspress gifted me with a digital #ARC of her most recent book, The Soulmate, I was excited to give her another go.

This is a dual timeline, dual POV domestic thriller told through the alternating perspectives of Amanda, who allegedly committed suicide, and Pippa, a lawyer whose husband attempted to stop Amanda from jumping off the cliff outside their cottage.

Honestly, this one didn’t fully work for me. I wanted to like it but I really struggled to stay engaged (it took me like 2 months to finish it, which is unheard of for me). The plot itself felt like this odd combination of predictable and absurd and I just couldn’t connect with the characters.

I think the thing I struggled with most with was the narrative voices of the main characters. Even as a mother myself, I found Pippa to be nieve and far too forgiving and the phantom POV of Amanda really did not work for me. It was revealed early on that the Amanda is essentially a ghost watching over her husband, Max, as he tried to figure out if she did or did not purposely take her own life. I have said time and time again that I need my domestic thrillers to be rooted in reality and unfortunately this one was a little bit too woo woo.

Hepworth definitely made some original and ambitious character and narration decisions, which is brave and I commend her for that, but they just didn’t work for me.

That being said, if you are interested in this sort of out of the box thriller then this one could definitely be for you!

I have loved every Sally Hepworth book I have read and The Soulmate is no exception! Hepworth knows how to draw you in and keep you pulled in until the very last page. The concept of this story--buying a house on the side of a cliff where people go to commit suicide is such a unique concept. And the twist at the end blew me away! This whole story made me question just how well I know the people in my life and just how well they actually know me. Sally Hepworth is an auto-buy author for me and that won't be changing!

In this new novel from Sally Hepworth, there's twists and turns. Gabe and Pippa have their dream home nestled in a quiet, coastal town. Their cottage is on a cliff, and a popular spot known as The Drop is where many people go to end their lives. Gabe is known for talking people out of jumping, and ultimately coming to their rescue. However, one woman jumps off the cliff and Gabe is unable to save her. Friends and family are determined to find out why this woman jumped. Who was she? Did she have a connection to Gabe and Pippa? Find out in this novel, where there is the utmost betrayal and secrets begin to unravel.

I’m such a Sally Hepworth fan, and I can always count on a unique book from such a wonderful storyteller! There were quite a few triggers, dealing with sensitive subjects and events. My favorite character ultimately was Pippa, whose realizations led to becoming a strong person. I really admired her compassion for her little girls. Her patience for Gabe was nothing short of remarkable. I thought the inclusion of Amanda’s viewpoint was brilliant!

There is something about Sally Hepworth's writing that I find to be fully immersive, making it nearly impossible to put her books down. The Soulmate had me hooked from the first page, its fast pace mixed with multiple twists and turns, topped with character's lives that are easy to get invested in - this book is sure to be a favourite for Domestic Suspense fans!

Pippa and Gabe have moved to a beautiful home located on a steep cliff with a stunning ocean view. While they both wondered how they possibly got a million dollar view without the price tag, it's not long until they find out that this cliff is a commonplace where many lose their lives to Suicide and it's known as The Drop. Gabe becomes somewhat of a local hero after he decides to go out and talk with many of those who visit the cliff, the Police are even impressed with his ability to save lives. One day, Pippa notices a woman approach the drop and as usual she warns Gabe, who makes his way outside while Pippa calls the Police. Pippa briefly looks away from the window facing the drop and when she looks back, Gabe is standing on the cliff by himself in a questionable position. In effort to not doubt her husband, she attempts to convince herself that nothing is amiss and that she just imagined this because she's watched Gabe save so many lives in the past, he couldn't possibly have pushed the woman.

The story is presented in dual POV with alternating timelines. We get the perspective of Pippa and Amanda, being the woman that was at the drop. The two timelines of Amanda's were interesting and I liked that we got the perspective of her from her past and present, but also her viewpoint from the afterlife which is perfectly wound into this complex story. Sally Hepworth really does this best, her ability to make a the most intricate stories palpable and easy to follow along with. I truly cannot get over the journey this book took me on, it surprised me more than once, every timeline in the story was well executed and believable. The story ended in a way that made sense while still having a shocking element.

The Soulmate releases April 4, 2023 and I'm so excited for my fellow Domestic Suspense/Thriller lovers to get their hands on another epic and twisty tale from Sally Hepworth.

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for this ARC version of The Soulmate.

I loved this book. I remember reading “the mother in law” and loved that one as well. Sally really knows how to hook you in and keep you guessing until the very end

This book started off slow for me and it took a bit to grab my attention but once it picked up, it picked up fast! There were some great plot twists I never would have guessed and the ending caught me off guard. I really enjoyed this book!

Gabe and Pippa have had more than their fair share of ups and downs over the recent years. Things finally seem to be looking up when they move to a small coastal town- until they learn that their home is a well known spot where people come to end their lives. Gabe has gained some local fame for talking people away from the cliff until he is unsuccessful one day. However, his description of events to the police doesn’t quite match what Pippa saw. After learning Gabe knew the person, Pippa isn’t sure what to think.

I really enjoyed this! This was so twisty and getting to see things from Amanda’s perspective really added another layer to the story. I appreciated the complexity of all the relationships portrayed and how slowly and carefully information was revealed about the dynamics between characters. This drew me in super quickly and I could barely stop reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

Unfortunately this is going to be a DNF for me. Thrillers are typically my favorite genre so even though I hadn't read from Hepworth before, I thought I'd give this one a shot. There was nothing specifically wrong with this book, everything about it was just fine. I was waiting for something to happen to finally grab my interest and compel me to read but it never happened. I never felt the urge to pick the book back up. Maybe I can come back to this later down the road and try again but now for, it's a DNF.

Sally Hepworth knows how to write a thriller. This is my second book by her and she grabs your attention right from the start.

This story is about Gabe and Pippa who recently relocated to a beach town. They live up on the cliff and over the past year learned the out their back door is the area called “The Drop”, where many have come to commit suicide over the years.

Gabe has interceded on many attempts and always succeeded in saving the poor soul who thought that life will be better without them. One day a woman arrived at The Drop and Pippa yelled to Gabe to go help her but he doesn’t succeed.

The story that leads off from this point is intricate and captivating. The backstory that leads up to this point has many twists and turns that unravel the secrets that both Gabe and Pippa have hidden.

Hepworth’s brilliant writing keeps you intrigued from start to finish. I highly recommend this book for any thriller lover out there!

Well not quite up to par with Hepworth's other works. And it's really only because the back and forth between two women in separate timelines just didn't work after a while as well as the lack of depth on some of the characters especially after a bunch of things get revealed. For example, I get why Hepworth included Amanda's point of view, but after a while it added nothing to the book, and honestly the whole plotline with how she is around and talking to "us" didn't work. It kept taking me out of the book after a while.

"The Soulmate" follows happily married couple Pippa and Gabe. The two of them have been married for 7 years, but something (left unsaid for a long while in the book) happened and the two of them moved house to be by the sea. Specifically, their house is near a cliff which is a popular suicide spot. Do not ask me why Pippa said this was a good idea, especially considering all of the backstory we get on Gabe eventually. I realized this right here was one of the reasons why I didn't give this one 5 stars. It just doesn't work with what we find out later.

The story follows Pippa and Gabe after a 50 year old woman jumps from the cliff and leaves them and Pippa's family scarred. Up until now Gabe has been able to talk would be jumpers down. But the mysterious woman, her potential connection to Pippa and Gabe, and some past issues may lead the police to start to unravel these two who consider the other one their soulmate. The book also follows another woman in this one (no spoilers) named Amanda. As I said above, Amanda could have been cut.

I could not with the character of Pippa. Especially after all of the reveals. I just felt tired, just like her sister. And I think I needed more there with Gabe. After a while I just didn't have a good grip on his character.

That said, the other characters were so interesting, the reveals that come slowly but surely leave you gobsmacked and the writing and flow were great.

I called BS at that ending. It didn't feel quite so satisfying as her prior books.

Sally Hepworth knows how to write a fantastic domestic thriller, and this book affirms that. In fact, of the three I've read by her, I think this one was my favorite! I devoured this book in a matter of days, as I found it to be super engaging, unique in its plot line, and twisty for sure. I thought I had figured out a few of the surprises, but several I didn't see coming at all. It even left me thinking about it for several days afterwards! I really enjoyed this one, and I think most other thriller lovers will too!

Ohhh Sally does it again. A domestic thriller that’s weaves characters drama and relations together seamlessly. A quick and perfectly paced read that kept me hooked. The twists got me. And omgggg the end! Wow. Great book!

Fantastic book! My favorite by this author so far!! Wow! It had a little bit of everything...suspense, thrill, domestic drama and a serious topic of discussion.

I will start by saying this book brought many emotions to the surface. I even had tears towards the end. Along with its capacity to make me feel, it was incredibly suspenseful. I just had to know what happened. And the ending was superb. It wrapped up all of the loose ends and answered all of the questions. Everything made sense.

Definitely read this one if you enjoy domestic thrillers with some character driven drama. The characters are so well carved out, I felt like I knew them intimately. Loved the dual perspectives and time lines format. Also loved that one of the character perspectives was after her death.

A gracious thank you to #stmartinspress and #netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #thesoulmate #sallyhepworth

I received a free copy of The Soulmate from Net Galley. It was the third book by Sally Hepworth that I have read. I enjoyed the book but not as much as I enjoyed The Mother in Law and The Good Sister. The book starts with Gabe trying to keep a woman from jumping to her death. The reader soon learns that Gabe knew the woman who jumped and that Gabe is keeping many secrets. The book kept my attention and contained several twists. I was not a fan of the ending.

SALLY is back! 5 star thriller!

I love Sally! She's the best follow on IG, and I loved The Mother in Law.

But The Good Sister and The Younger Wife weren't huge hits for me. I was so bummed. But then, this one! This book is back to the crisp plotting of The Mother in Law. But even more, it's back to the character development of that book. This book makes you care about the characters.

The "and" element there is the mother in law, which isn't explored enough in fiction. The "and" element here is the deep dive into two marriages. Two marriage of good people who love each other. That made it so much more interesting. I loved it.

I loved the Amanda construct, such a great way to tell this story. Can't go further without spoiling things, but chef's kiss!

The plot grabs you from the start and plays out perfectly. yes, there are thriller elements, short chapters, a couple good-sized twists, but nothing out of the realm or unbelievable. Just enough to keep you flying through the pages.

Trigger warning for issues with mental health esp bi-polar disorder, for sure. Tread carefully but I think it's handled really well here.

Oh, I'm so glad that this one was good. Go Sally!