When I read about a cliff behind a cottage that was known for people jumping off to their untimely demise, I said, “Sign me up (to read it)!” But I was soon disappointed to find this was just the background of the cliff and not really where the story was focused. The story instead was about a woman who suspected her husband was up to no good. And, without giving spoilers, there are secrets in the tale, but not the kind that get me excited.

I didn’t care for either of the narrators (duo timelines were OK, though). But the story just didn’t go the way I had hoped and also some of the dialogue and scenes seemed unbelievable (wait til you read the way the main characters met).

This was a fast read. I read it in two days, so all in all, not bad! Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan for allowing me to read this ARC!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Sally Hepworth, and NetGalley for gifting me an advance reader's copy of The Soulmate!

Sally Hepworth's novels are always on my list of books to read due to the suspense and family drama. The Soulmate has a great cover and premise.

Here is the setup: Gabe and Pippa have moved into a home in a coastal town on the side of a cliff in Melbourne. They are so excited about the opportunity to raise their children in this town. However, there is an unusual place near their home called "The Spot" where people are jumping off a cliff to end their lives. Gabe has been getting local attention due to his ability to save people from "The Spot." However, one day an unusual thing happens where Pippa sees Gabe out near the cliff and begins to have some questions. A woman has died and her death is ruled a suicide but when Pippa finds out that her husband knew the victim, she goes on a deep dive to find out what really happened.

This story kept me on the toes as I anxiously read to find out what was really happening in this story!

The overall storyline and premise of the book were good, but it left much to be desired.

Pippa and Gabe moved to a new house on a seaside cliff. They learned quickly that the location was less than ideal because it was a popular spot for people wanting to commit suicide. Gabe is a stay at home dad who was always home and able to meet the few people who came to jump. Gabe has talked the previous people out of wanting to jump, until one day Amanda shows up.

The book is told in alternating views between Amanda and Pippa. There are a few twists, but overall nothing huge. I was hoping for a major twist or a major thriller and it just wasn't there. In addition, the characters were bland and hard to connect with. There was also a lot of repetition so many times where I just skimmed because things had already been said or described.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my advanced reader copy.

There is not a book of Sally's I would not read. She is so very talented. It feels like I have it figured out then I am shocked by the end. It makes me realize what people do when they are crazy in love!

5*. I highly recommend this book. This fast paced psychological thriller begins with the apparent suicide of an unknown woman behind the house of Pippa, her husband, Gabe, and their two little girls. The cliff behind their house is known as a suicide spot. Most recently, Pippa’s husband has made a local reputation of being the suicide whisperer and talking several would be jumpers off the cliff, literally. When the couple spots a woman on the cliff who appears to be a would be jumper, Gabe rushes out to speak to her. While Pippa watches out the window, Gabe takes some unusual actions that are not recommended when talking to suicide victims. After being momentarily distracted and looking back, Pippa realizes the woman has jumped and her husband appears devastated. Although the cops appear to believe it to be a suicide, Pippa has some lingering doubts about what she saw. The story that unfolds after the apparent suicide is a twisty thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. The story is told from the alternating view points of Pippa and Amanda, and is set in both the present and the past. It’s an engaging mechanism that works well for this story. Once you get started on this book, you will have a hard time putting it down until the very end.

This was definitely a different read. I found myself enjoying it though. Family drama, suspense, and work drama all tied into one complicated story. It also focused on life questions and dealt with the tough issue of suicide and tough family issues such as infidelity and many more. It is going to take me a while to process this one.

My new approach to disliking books by authors I have previously loved is to simply blame all of their latest releases on Covid. Sally Hepworth has been a go-to-gal for me and I’m the first to tell people they read her books wrong if they don’t’ like them. But not really, though, because I am nothing but kind and forgiving ; ) Really I blame the marketing. Her stuff is always released under the moniker of “thriller” or “domestic suspense” – which I guess is sorta true, but I have found once I get invested in the families she writes about I often forget there’s been a superbadawful that will eventually be explained.

Unfortunately that wasn’t the case with The Soulmate. I always love Hepworth’s characters and I immediately didn’t like either Pippa or Gabe. And the entire premise that there’s some “suicide death leap” (utilized by an absolute bevy of people every year because the hubbo has made a name for himself for being able to stop from taking their final leap since the couple moved in) that (1) hasn’t been secured in some fashion either by fencing or at least by some seriously bright lighting and surveillance to act as a deterrent or (2) that you would willingly move there (no matter what your finances) with two small children thinking they wouldn’t plummet to their own deaths just because you said stay back??? Well . . . . .WHO DOES THAT?!?!?!?!

“The Spot” most certainly was NOT a perfect place to raise their daughters as the blurb states. And the twist??? Meh. Not great, Bob. All that being said, this sucker is currently sitting at a 4.29 on Goodreads so I’m obviously the wrongreader here and your mileage most definitely may vary.

2.5 Stars.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

I could not put this book down! The multiple povs helped put the story together and built on the suspense! A must read!

Normally I love everything by this author, but this one didn't do it for me. It started out awesome, I thought the premise was intriguing and I got through the first 50% or so very quickly. Then it seemed to drag in the middle and I felt like everyone was just talking in circles until BAM THE ENDING. I also thought there was one loose thread from the beginning that never got resolved. Don't leave me hanging!
I'm very meh on this whole thing and probably wouldn't recommend it to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC!

Gabe and Pippa Gerard moved to cliffside home with their two young daughters. At first it seemed like an idyllic location, but they quickly learn that it’s a popular spot for people who want to commit suicide. The first several times they see someone perilously close to the edge, Gabe uses his natural charm to talk them out of their plans. Then comes the time he doesn’t. The problem is, he knows the woman who jumped, but fails to tell police about the connection, knowing it won’t look good for him.

The novel goes back and forth in time and is told from the point of view of Pippa and the woman who died (Amanda tells her story before and after her death). Telling the story this way allows for details to come out slowly, and the reader is left wondering if Amanda actually jumped or if Gabe helped in some way.

I thought this was a fast, fun read. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES APRIL 4, 2023.

Hepworth is a go to author for me. She always has engagingly flawed characters that you like anyway. And a fast paced plot that keeps you guessing. This is another winner for her .
Thanks for letting me review this book to Netgalley and the publisher

This is a great story, the charachters are well-developed and most of all, the story telling got me hooked from page one. The multiple POV and the jump in time adds up to the tension and the turns were unexpected.

The "not so good" thing for me was one of the main point (how they find de USB). I know, if we're believing in soulmates and the afterlife, a lot of luck are expected too. But still, I'm not convinced about that kind of luck.

Despite that, I cry a bit at the end, I love how the author wraped everything in those final pages. I had a really good time reading this book.

This was probably a 3.5, but it just didn't quite have the omph I was looking for. I liked the format and the different POVs. The characters were also well-drawn, the twist just didn't feel quite twisty enough.

We’re going back and forth and read the events from two POVs including Pippa and Amanda ( dead woman)! Their perspectives give us enough information about secrets, lies they kept about their marriages. Nothing as it seems and get ready to expect the unexpected!

My first Sally Hepworth, and I must say I'm a fan! I breezed through this book, and it was the perfect amount of mystery and drama. While the end wasn't a huge shock, I loved the backstory we got on both Amanda/Max's and Pippa/Gabe's relationships - I especially found Gabe's character super compelling. Would recommend for fans of "marriage and murder" books, as Hepworth herself says.

This story follows Pippa and Gabe, who live in their dream home near a cliffside with their two young daughters. There’s one problem though. The cliffside is a popular jump spot for suicidal people. Gabe has successfully been able to talk some people out of jumping to their death, for which he has become somewhat of a local hero. Except one night, he has an encounter with a woman that ends with her falling to her death. Pippa witnessed the last moment before the woman fell and was perplexed with Gabe’s stance and outstretched arms, which seemingly appeared to suggest maybe he did not help, but had a more sinister involvement. She tries to shake the feeling and the death was ruled a suicide. However, Pippa soon learns this woman was not a stranger to Gabe and so begins the quest for the truth, no matter how dark and secretive that truth may be.

I love a good domestic thriller. The synopsis on this book captured my attention and I couldn’t wait to dive in. I’ve read some of her other novels and have really enjoyed them. This one was so-so for me. While there were some twists and turns in this plot, most felt rather predictable or not as thrilling as I was hoping for. The story jumped between past and preset across a few different POVs, so it took some work to track and manage. The character development was pretty surface level, so I didn’t find myself feeling connected to any of the characters. It was a fairly quick read, it just wasn’t super memorable or exciting. I would give it a 3.5 rating. It appears I am in the minority based on the many stellar reviews, so I’d recommend picking it up and judging for yourself.

Thank you to NetGalley + St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. Currently the pub date is 4/4/2023, so make sure you pre-order or grab a copy when it’s released.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC. While the pace of this book was great to keep me entertained, the overall plot lost me a bit.

This book has an original storyline with more twists than you can even guess. I couldn't stop reading. I would recommend it to anyone who likes surprises in their books that they don't see coming.

The Soulmate had me hooked! I couldn't wait to see what happened. I was waiting for the classic twists that Sally Hepworth usually includes in her books. It's what I love so much about them. Unfortunately, I didn't feel that The Soulmate had any mind blowing moments. The beginning had me hooked but by the end I had lost interest in the story.

Wow is all I have to say! The Soulmate is a complex story following two families - Gabe and Pippa moved to a house on the coast next to “The Drop”, a popular suicide spot. When a woman falls to her death, a mystery follows when it is discovered who the woman was.

This novel explores the complexity of marriages, families, mental illness and business dealings. No matter how much you think you know someone, there are usually secrets and things to learn about the other person…. Sometimes love gets you through it, sometimes it doesn’t.

This book started out a little slow for me, but I was quickly drawn into the characters and all of their complexities. This was masterfully written, and I can’t wait to read Hepworth’s next book.

4.5/5 stars ⭐️ … but only because it took me a few chapters to get into it.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for gifting me this incredible ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!