Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I’ve heard great things about Sally Hepworth’s books, so when I saw this pop up on NetGalley, I grabbed it. I also follow her on Instagram, where she posts delightful, fun things. However, this one fell a bit flat for me.

From GoodReads: Gabe and Pippa Gerard have just moved into their dream house: a cliffside cottage in a sleepy coastal town outside Melbourne. It’s a fresh start to their marriage and the perfect place to raise their two young daughters. But the house’s perfect façade hides something more sinister: The Spot, where the tall cliffs have become a popular place for those wishing to end their lives. After talking someone down from the ledge, Gabe becomes a local hero, saving person after person… until one night, he doesn’t. And Pippa sees Gabe the moment after it happened, standing alone at the cliff’s edge, arms outstretched, palms facing out.

The death is ruled a suicide— Gabe said it was a stranger devastated over her husband’s infidelity. But when Pippa discovers that Gabe knew the victim, she has more questions than answers. Plus, the woman’s husband swears she wouldn’t have jumped. Why would Gabe lie about not knowing her? Why would she have been at The Spot if not to jump? And did she really jump… or was she pushed? As Pippa works to uncover the truth, the foundations of the life they’ve built begin to crack, and their deepest secrets start to unravel.

The story is told from Pippa’s perspective as well as from the person who died on the cliff, which is a bit weird. I’m not sure why it’s just not told in the third person omniscient. Not only is it from two perspectives, but it’s also in the past and present. This seems like an easy way to tell a story without giving too much away. However, using a different narrator is difficult. See the Dublin Murder Squad books for a masterclass in this style. Narrator aside, the story had some plot twists that were just crammed in there to be “interesting,” and I didn’t believe in them at all. I will probably give Hepworth another try but was underwhelmed by this one.

What a ride?! It was addictive from start to finish, truly. I found myself thinking about it at the most random moments of the day. When I wasn’t reading I was itching to get back to this absolute page turned.

SH knows how to keep you in suspense up until the perfect moment of reveal and understanding.

I absolutely loved this book!! I couldn’t put it down.
I just loved all the characters. I highly recommend this book.

Sally Hepworth is one of those authors who always brings her A game and The Soulmate was no exception. Quick chapters and unexpected twists made this another book that I zipped through. A few trigger warnings are as follows- mental illness, suicide, and drugs. These were tastefully and realistically addressed imho.

Huge thanks to the author, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much @StMartinsPress for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 04 April 2023)

SYNOPSIS | Gabe & Pippa's home overlooks the ocean, however sadly is also a popular spot where people go to end their life. Usually Gabe can talk them out of it, but this time he doesn't succeed. As the police start investigating we learn that there is a connection to the victim & maybe her death wasn't self-inflected.

WHAT I LIKED:
- short snappy chapters with lots of mini cliff-hangers kept me flipping the pages
- the non-linear alternating POVs really helped to drive the story forward
- I can never resist a good dysfunctional family

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- I didn't enjoy how mental health was handled or represented within this story
- the second part of the book felt repetitive & I began to lose interest
- Pippa had such bland doormat vibes that it was hard to root for her to figure everything out
- I just don’t understand why you would move to a house like this if you have young children?!

I really loved this book. Originally I gave it 3 stars, but it has really stuck with me, so I'll move it up to 4 for that reason.

I've always enjoyed Salky Hepworth's writing and The Soulmate was no exception. This book was un-put-down-able for me -- I read it in 3 days! The interconnected elements of grief, mystery, and marriage were so intriguing to me!

Once again, Sally Hepworth has proven that she is a go-to author for a solid thriller. I have read several of her previous works and she consistently writes a thriller that leaves me guessing and doesn't fail to give a twist that I don't see coming. The Soulmate is no exception. This is a great book if you want an escape from reality and one that will hold your attention.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

This was one of those books where my initial thoughts of how the book would play out was totally wrong. There were about 3 plot twists I never would have guessed, which kept this read entertaining. It’s multiple POV and even the ghost of the character that dies has chapters dedicated to her POV. I thought that was a fun and unique aspect. The multiple timelines and POVs were a little hard to track at times but not enough that I couldn't follow along. Overall, this was an okay read for me.

A Massive Thank You to the Author, the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book prior to its release date.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Behind Pippa and Gabe’s dream home lies a dangerous cliff - which over the years has become a popular place for lost individuals to take their lives. Gabe has earned himself some notoriety in being able to help prevent and rescue some of these individuals before the step off over the edge of cliff.

When Gabe fails to save a distressed woman, Pippa is left with more questions than answers when she realizes both she and Gabe knew the victim. With what she knew about the unfortunate death called into question, Pippa finds herself wondering if the victim truly jumped or was she pushed? And if Gabe was willing to lie about pushing her, what else might he being lying about?

As always - Hepworth’s novels are great and make for quick, unable to put down reads. For me - this one felt a little too similar to her last, The Younger Wife, and didn’t really grab my attention the way some of her others have. A great read for any solid Hepworth fan!

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Sally Hepworth for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Read if you like:
+ Family Drama
+ Psychological thrillers
+ Hepworth’s The Younger Wife

Wow! Sally Hepworth really has a way of drip feeding you a story! I was invested from the very first chapters I do like that there are short chapters in this book. I feel I get through books much faster with shorter chapters.

Imagine buying a place by a cliff! Pippa Gerard seems to second guess her husband’s actions. She has a history of making excuses for her significant other and seems gullible. I like how Hepworth wrote the chapters from the dead woman, Amanda’s perspective. This made the storyline much more appealing to me.

Pippa’s husband, Gabe always told a story that seemed inconsistent each time he explains what happened when Amanda jumped from the cliff. The story starts in present tense then flips back to then. This is something Hepworth did well and I found the storyline to be easy to follow. Each chapter reveals something new in the past or present.

This book was such a page turner, it was so hard to put it down. Even when I did put it down, I could not wait to get back to it. I was dying to know what happened next or to uncover more details from the past.

When I did get to the ending my reaction was “that’s it.” I guess I expected a bit more or some type of twist towards the end. I did not expect some characters to be so accepting and able to move forward.

***Thanks to St. Martin's press and Netgalley for an e-arc of this novel***

I really enjoy Hepworth's domestic suspense stories. The Mother in Law was a favorite of mine. This story fell a little flat for me. I found both Pippa and Gabe to be frustrating characters. I like when my thrillers are twisty and keep you on the edge of your seat but I found this one to be lacking. I thought too many details were provided too early in the story. I kept waiting to find out that perhaps one of them lied and something else was coming but it never did, The ending wrapped up nicely and there is definitely one twist I didn't see coming but I still found the story to be a little less exciting than I am used to with this author.

As usual, Hepworth's writing is on point and the story is easy to read and follow. The daughters were great characters and I like the unique perspective of Amanda in the "after."

I really enjoyed this book! It captured my attention from page one!!! This is a must read and you won't be able to put it down! I would definitely recommend this book.

I had some high hopes for THE SOULMATE after seeing lots of positive reviews but unfortunately this one didn’t work for me!

There’s a cottage on a cliff and it’s Pippa and Gabe’s dream home! The only problem? The tall cliff have become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Gabe has become known for talking people off the ledge, until one day he doesn’t.

This book had a pretty great premise so I’m not sure why I didn’t love this one but I just couldn’t get into it! I was so bored the entire time besides the ending but by then it was too late to change my mind. I didn’t find myself caring about any of these characters and I couldn’t root for them. I actually started off liking both Pippa & Gabe but I ended up disliking them more and more as the story went on.

Loved this book! It was fast paced and had my all time favorite thing...short chapters. Sally Hepworth really knows how to grab a readers attention. Was hooked from the start and finished it in 2 days.

I enjoyed this book, The Soulmate, by Sally Hepworth. It was not what I was expecting at all. I enjoyed the twists in it, and the focus on mental illness. I will definitely recommend this book to friends.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were well developed and the story was engaging. I recommend that others try this book as well. Well done!

This book kept me entertained the whole time and looking for more answers. I was surprised by the twist in the end and wasn't seeing that coming. I really loved how the book wrapped up and everyone's storylines got to play out. I haven't read Sally Hepworth prior to this, but I definitely think I'll be reading more from her!

Sally Hepworth really knows domestic drama! This book drew me in from the start! Pippa and Gabe’s house on the Cliff attracts people and attention. People who tend to want to end their lives by jumping. But when one of those jumpers ends up having a connection to Gabe, a perfect marriage turns out to be not so perfect after all.

Thank you to @netgalley for the opportunity to provide honest feedback in exchange for an ARC version of this book!

The Soulmate starts out fast and intertwines and unravels this story in a dual timeframe perspective that gives depth and insight with mystery in a wonderful use of the writing method. Hepworth once again gives us a story that we keep wanting to know more and how and who and why. This is a bingeable story!