📖 Book Review: The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth

This book is a classic domestic suspense/thriller with lots of unexpected twists and turns. I feel like every chapter ends on some kind of cliffhanger, and just when I start patting myself on the back for figuring something out, a new wrinkle in the fabric appears. Hepworth cleverly manipulates time to reveal pieces of the story at just the right moment to produce maximum intrigue and impact. She lures the reader in and keeps them hooked until the bitter end. I blew through this book at an alarming pace.

The story revolves around two women and their respective marriages, showing how their obsessive love, their decisions, and their actions or inactions all culminate in one woman dying, and the other questioning everything she thinks she knows.

At times, I did struggle to differentiate between the two female narrators because their voices feel very similar. Their husbands also feel very similar, and while that is clearly intentional, it can be confusing if you’re tearing through the book like I did.

Mental illness is a primary plot device, which sometimes gives me the ick, but sometimes feels effective. I do like the unreliable narrator aspect of only seeing glimpses of mental illness through the lens of a character’s love and limited understanding. I don’t, however, love the use of mental illness as a scapegoat for violent or abusive behaviors. I can tell that Hepworth did her research and it did feel like a realistic portrayal, but at times it gave me pause.

Overall, this is a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5, and a wonderful way to spend some time on a weekend. I’d recommend to anyone who loves a quick thriller.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Despite a few early chapters that didn't really grab me, I was hooked once I got into this book. There are quite a few twists and turns that really had me unsure of exactly what happened and why. I have to admit, I didn't anticipate the way the story ended but I think it is feasible. I didn't think ADHD was the correct diagnosis for Gabe the first time it was mentioned, and they waited a long time and ignored a lot of symptoms before seeking another opinion. The current diagnosis could have prevented a lot of the events that happened and changed the course of the story. Still, interesting and a good read.

Gabe and Pippa have two young children and live at the top of a cliff. I have the willies already! Said cliff is where the locals come to commit suicide-- until Gabe talks them out of it. He's become a local celebrity. Then it happens: the person he can't redirect. But did Amanda jump or fall or was she pushed?

And Gabe's and Pippa's lives are never the same. Amanda's husband, Max, doesn't believe she jumped. Everyone in this story has serious secrets they would rather keep to themselves.

The plot twists in this book are profound. Just when you think you might know why a character is behaving in a particular, the story shifts again. I could never have predicted the ending.

The Soulmate is an action-packed thriller. I read until I couldn't stay awake anymore. I read until I absolutely had somewhere else to be. I highly recommend The Soulmate.

Another well done domestic suspense novel from Sally Hepworth. For two couples, Gabe and Pippa, and mega-wealthy media CEO Max and his wife Amanda, definitions of love and soulmate look superficially similar, but clearly are not as their evolving relationships and marriage details unfold with perfect pacing to keep the reader turning the pages. The story is told in alternating "before and after" timelines and the voices of Pippa and Amanda relative to the pivotal point one of them jumps from The Drop, a cliff at a small beachside town outside Melbourne. Lots of twisty plot points that keep the reader wanting to know why the jump took place and whether it really was accidental. Along with the thorny and often hair splitting definitions of love, loyalty, trust and fidelity, Hepworth tackles mental illness in delicate detail -- but i'm probably one of the few that felt the ending was a little too neatly tied up relative to some of the characters and the path they take at the book's conclusion. You'll have to read the novel to see if you agree as I don't want to provide any spoilers to this slow-build but quick-paced thriller. Highly recommend for those who enjoy Ruth Ware's similar twisty novels. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Soul Mate is another great Sally Hepworth novel. I loved the alternating storyline, the characters, and the build up of suspense. This one kept me guessing until the end.

Strap on your seat belt for another fast paced book by Sally Hepworth. I devoured this on in two sittings. This story features a before and after timeline featuring points of view from the wife and the woman who falls off the cliff outside of the wife's house.

I love a story that is so deeply layered and that features so many twists and turns and this book does not disappoint.

The thing that really sticks out in this book is not only the twists and turns reader's have come to expect from Hepworth but her very interesting dissection of a marriage, and the ability to trust your partner and keep their secrets.

Don't miss this one! Highly recommended. Thanks to the author and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Hepworth always writes such great thrillers! While I had this one figured out about halfway through, the ending was still nice to read. While it’s not the traditional happy ending, it’s still a nice wrap up to a tense, suspenseful novel:

I enjoyed the dual POVs that also went back and forth between time. You have to pay attention to this to make sure you keep up to speed on the past and present.

Overall this was a satisfying read. The one thing I didn’t like was how Max’s story ends. I understand it, but I didn’t like it. He was the only selfless character in the book.

Mannn, this book is so freaking good!! From start to finish, a rollercoaster of emotions! It was also my first time reading a book that was a mix of thriller and romance and omg, I don't regret it one bit.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for sending me an ARC of this book.

I found this book riveting and very exciting to read. I liked that the chapters were short and kept me intrigued with all the twists and turns. I really couldn't stop reading it!!

Two couples. Before they marry, they make promises to each other. One couple agrees no children. They vow loyalty and fidelity. But ……
A great read from Sally Hepworth. Thanks!

I liked that the book was told from two different points of view, “then” and “now,” but the timeline of “then” did get a bit confusing at times. I liked the twists—they added an element of mystery and surprise without being too over the top. This was my second book by this author, and I will definitely be reading more.

An absolute gripping, page turning thriller. It kept me engaged and guessing the entire book. This was my first book by sally and I can’t wait to read more from her!

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy. I have read every Sally Hepworth book and I truly enjoy her writing and storytelling. This book was no different. She is a highly recommended author for me.

Hepworth has become an automatic buy for our library, as she is a favorite for many of the librarians and recommended as a solid domestic thriller author. Not as many twists as some of her other books, but still was a satisfying read.

Sally Hepworth books are my favorite and I could not keep my hands off of this 2023 read any longer. No matter how I feel when I turn the last page of one of her books, I know that it will have been a thought provoking and engaging reading ride...and The Soulmate was no different.

The Soulmate is told from two different viewpoints and alternates between past and present tense, which totally worked for me. Hepworth kept me guessing throughout, and left me with so much to think about at the end. I will say that I sometimes struggle with how mental health and suicide is handled in a domestic suspense/thriller genre but all in all, this felt respectfully done in the end.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my gifted copy to read and review. I look forward to sharing more about this one when we get closer to its 2o23 publication date.

Sally Hepworth does it again, bringing us a novel full of intrigue and suspense. Thankfully I was on vacation while reading, and was able to finish in a single day! Such a great book.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Gabe & his family have moved into a home on an edge of land facing the ocean.It is a popular place for persons who come to commit suicide.
Gabe,has talked seven people out of jumping over the edge,but one day a woman comes near the edge & she doesn't listen to him.His wife looks out the window & sees the woman,but when Gabe comes inside,he doesn't say that he knew the woman.
The woman is identified & it is his former bosses wife.
The story really takes off,after the police get involved.
The story goes back & forth between 1st.the dead woman speaking and then Gabes wife,until the conclusion.
Gabe is a mess & the only thing,he seems good for is them.
I love Sally Hepworth's novels & this is another,that she knocks out of the park.
Thanks goes to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review.

Thanks to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for providing this Arc In exchange for an honest review.

Pip and Gabe bought a house that is unfortunately near a cliff where suicidal people come to end it all. Gabe has had success with talking people out of suicide so Pip is surprised when a woman on the cliff jumps after only briefly speaking with Gabe and more surprised that Gabe appeared to have pushed her. Even more shocking, they know the woman that died.

You really can’t say too much about this one without giving things away. I really enjoyed it and it was a one day read. The surprises kept coming which meant I never got bored. I definitely did not anticipate where this one was going. Great book. Looking forward to this author’s next work.

A murder mystery thriller... kind of. There is death but the question is was it murder or suicide. The story jumps between two women in the the past and present for both women. Their story ties together in more ways than one as we unravel an unexpected death, lies and deceptions. We see them with the men and family they love as they struggle to support the men in their lives who are victims of mental illness in one way or another.
I recommend this book to thriller and mystery lovers but not to those sensitive to mental illness or suicide without a trigger warning.

There’s something about Sally Hepworth’s writing. So unique. Such fast reads. This is the second ARC I’ve received and both I finished in a day. I love the twists in The Soulmate.

4.5/5 rounded up to 5