5 top-notch stars

Sally Hepworth has cemented herself as one of my favorite authors. Her books deliver time after time! She creates characters that are memorable and realistic, and the pacing is terrific. She doles out pieces of the story through different narrators and timelines and it makes for a top-notch read!

There are two sets of couples in this one – Pippa and Gabe – married with two children – and we get to know them through past and present chapters. They live in a house outside of Melbourne with a gorgeous but tragic view. Known as “The Drop” it has attracted far too many people with suicidal thoughts. Gabe has become well-known as he has talked seven people to safety. Until one night when he is unsuccessful. And Pippa isn’t sure he’s telling the full truth.

Amanda and Max are the other couple in the book. Max is a powerful successful businessman and Amanda is his wife. Max has a tragic family history of suicide and has leveraged his success into raising money for mental health. I loved the unique point of view chapters from Amanda throughout the book.

As we get more of the history of Pippa and Gabe, it becomes clear that they have many struggles in their marriage. Pippa has stood by Gabe many times in the past and I wondered how many more times she could do this. I rooted for them as a couple, but it was easy to see the toll that events take on Pippa.

Filled with intrigue and secrets, the author spins a tale that kept me engaged and glued to the pages. The ending was perfect, and she managed to not make it a dramatic over-the-top finale. Kudos to Sally Hepworth! This is a favorite read of mine for 2022.

This will probably be a popular book at its release. But having lost my own brother to suicide by jumping off a bridge due to mental illness this whole book just rubbed me wrong. Kind of felt like it was trying to sensationalize mental illness and suicide

Whoa! Tragic love stories explained with Hepworth’s signature dark sense of humor make this a must-read! Lots of unexpected twists and turns will keep you riveted! The ending had me screaming! Well done, Sally Hepworth.

Love Story.

It doesn’t take long for the action to start:

The police are swarming the cliffside yard of Pippa and Gabe’s cottage and Pippa omits information when asked by a detective. She knows she lied, but she doesn’t know why.

Married to her soulmate, Pippa is the envy of other wives in her small community. However, I soon got the feeling that a not so sparkling facet existed in their perfectly cut marriage.

Evenly paced and easily read, I wanted to relax into the story but the foreboding became stronger as the pages turned and kept me sitting up straight!

This was my favorite Sally Hepworth novel so far. A few highlights for me were:

1. Two pragmatic, level headed female leads. Even the secondary roles were people to get behind thus satiating my love for intelligent characters.

2. Using marriage as the backbone, two couples are featured with Pippa and Gabe at center, but I was equally, if not more invested in Amanda and Max’s timeline. I loved the creative tactic used to relay Amanda’s voice and carry the story forward.

3. While the immediate drama caught my attention, less overt but important details almost floated by me. I love Sally Hepworth’s sleight of hand with commentary and wisdom slipping in with the flash.

I also appreciated the unexpected choices made by the author and was surprised by the ending.

This is the fifth book I’ve read by Sally Hepworth and it’s a favorite for the year. I plan on purchasing my own copy plus one as a gift.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for my advance review copy.

I thought this was a very solid mystery/thriller, with some good, twisty moments, but it wasn't anything super out of the ordinary to me; nothing really makes it stand out as special.

Hepworth worked well within the confines of her story, but was allowed some latitude by the narrative structure. The Now and Then way of doling out information about the main POVs was very useful and allowed Hepworth to slowly divulge information in a very active way, rather than having to rely on Pippa or Amanda telling us any of the information we needed to know.

All of the characters involved are likable, but none truly stand out. In a way, I was much more drawn to Max and Amanda in their past than I was with Pippa and Greg, and therefore enjoyed the glimpses of their life together much more, but the main premise of the plot, that greg new the woman that jumped, is filled with holes that make me grimace. I can suspend my belief for the sake of the story, but i just wish i didn't have to.

the story is told in such a way that it does hold your attention and the nuggets of information that Hepworth drops make turning the page worth it, as does her pacing, but I just didn't find myself completely invested in what was going on.

What a ride! Once I started reading The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth I could not put it down! Several times I was sure I had it figured out, but I was wrong every time. I didn't see the twist at the end coming. Sally Hepworth knows how to keep her readers guessing!

The story alternated between two different points of view throughout and I was intrigued by both, enough to keep turning the pages late into the night. I highly recommend picking this book up if you love a good twist and lots of juicy secrets!

When I see a favorite author is releasing a new book-I get excited! But, only a FEW of those books go STRAIGHT to the top of my TBR list, no matter how far out the publication date is!! Sally Hepworth-Queen of DOMESTIC SUSPENSE is one of those authors!!

First take a look at the gorgeous cover.

That is a visual of “The Drop”-a view that people often pause to admire while strolling on MIllionaire’s Walk, a sandy walking path in Portsea-a sleepy coastal town a couple of hours outside of Melbourne.

But, it has also become a popular place for people to come to end their lives. Ragged cliffs above the ocean, 30 meters below- You DON’T survive the fall.

Gabe and Pippa had a fortuitous meeting. It was pretty much “love at first sight”- something that would often bother me in a ROMANCE book-but we are talking about “Soulmates” in this story…

Intoxicating to one another- Yin and Yang.

But their life together has had its challenges, as well.

Their new cliff side home 20 meters from “The Drop” is meant to be a fresh start, for the couple and their two young daughters, Freya and Asha, and at first it is.

Gabe becomes a local hero of sorts when he talks down someone from the ledge. And, then he succeeds time and again until the day he doesn’t. He is devastated.

The Police rule it a Suicide-but the Victim’s husband swears that Amanda wouldn’t jump!

And, when Pippa realizes that Gabe knew this woman- she has questions about what she thinks she saw before the woman tumbled out of sight.

Told from the alternating perspectives of Pippa (NOW) and Amanda (AFTER) Sally Hepworth delivers yet ANOTHER original story that surprised me not ONCE-not TWICE- but at least THREE times!

Not only that, but she always NAILS her endings-shocking without being OTT!

I can’t wait to see what she dreams up for us next!

SCHEDULED publication date: April 4th, 2023

I received a gifted copy from St. Martin’s Press through NETGALLEY and it was sincerely MY pleasure to offer a candid review!

How far would you go for your soulmate? Sally Hepworth delivers a beautifully twisted story of love, family, and murder. The multiple POV, multiple timeline is engaging and will keep you flipping to the next chapter way past your bed time.

This is a murder mystery with a bit of a twist. It concerns the relations among two couples, and the wife of one dies in the first few pages. What you don't know is why or how: was it a suicide or was she pushed or was it an accidental fall? The inner workings of the four people twist and turn as you are privy to their thoughts and descriptions of the plot moments. While this basic narrative form has been frequently used, I liked how the book has been put together and the characters are well drawn and the descriptions are interesting to read and visualize. The book takes place on the coast of a posh Australian suburb that is in transition from its more modest roots. There is examination of various forms of mental illness, infidelity, and overbearing and over-involved grandparents. Overall, I really liked the book and would recommend to mystery fans as a fresh take.

Gabe saved seven lives. Seven people would have jumped to their deaths at the known cliff suicide spot called "The Drop" had Gab and his wife Pippa had not moved into the house right behind it. Gabe easily could see them arrive at The Drop from inside his home, recognize their intentions, and successfully (and literally) talk them off the edge.

That is, until he doesn't.

A mysterious woman appears one night at dusk and Gabe is unable to get her to come down. Her subsequent jump smashes a crack right into Gabe and Pippa's hidden past. Their truth will bubble to the surface in this twisty domestic thriller.

Okay I LOVE Sally Hepworth and requested this ARC as fast as I possibly could! It started strong, unique and interesting concept and seemed like it would be a major page-turner. I have to say that for me it wasn't my favorite of hers. The POV and timeframe changes for each chapter, flipping between Pippa and the woman on the cliff from both before and after the jump.
This often caused me to jump back to confirm the POV and timeline of the current chapter. It was just a bit too much jumping around with such short chapters. Aside from that, it was an entertaining book with an unusual premise. Hepworth still keeps her high position on my favorite author list!! ☺️

Possible triggers: mental health issues and suicide.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Soulmate is a fantastic story by Sally Hepworth. It kept me guessing throughout. I loved the chapters alternating between different characters and before/after the event. It was brilliantly done! I did not suspect the ending, so that made it even better. Excellent read!

I’m a huge Sally Hepworth fan, and this one did not disappoint! Like all of her other books, I read it within a few days and kept me guessing the whole time.

3.5 stars rounded up

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this!

I am a big fan of Sally Hepworth and was ecstatic to be approved for this one! However It was not my favorite by her. It was a little slow and very predictable, but only because there were too many hints as to what was going to happened. It definitely ruined any twists. It was more suspenseful i would say than anything.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy. This book is incredibly fast paced and has more twists and turns that never saw coming than any book in recent memory. I read this straight thru in 4 hours, unable to peel myself away. All of the characters are multifaceted, three-dimensional people that end up in a twisted dance that i won't soon forget. Bravo!

Pippa and Gabe live with their daughters on a cliff overlooking the sea. This cliff has been the spot for many suicides. Gabe has stopped many of them. They spot a woman one evening and Gabe goes out to talk to her. Pippa calls the police and when she looks out the window the woman has jumped...or has she?
The story takes us through Pippa and Gabe's past and present. We also learn what brought the woman, Amanda, to the cliff.
This story keeps you guessing. Who is lying? What are their secrets?
I really enjoy Sally Hepworth's books! Thank you, NetGalley, publishers and Sally for an ARC I finished in two nights.

This is such a good book! It had me hooked from the very beginning and the twists and turns were amazingly written!

The Soulmate was amazing. Hepworth is a master storyteller. I have read several by her, and this is my favorite.

Whoa! Talk about twisty. This may be my favorite of Hepworth’s now!

The premise of this book was so intriguing and I was drawn in immediately. The alternating narrators and short chapters were perfection.

I had no idea how the two timelines were going to come together and 🤯

Definitely recommend this one!

Wow what a ride! I literally could not put this book down. Sally Hepworth writes a thriller with tons of plot twists that you will not see coming! Told in alternating POV, in past and present, this story will have you picking it up every chance you get just to see what happens next! Highly recommended book which I loved it is just a little bit different from the usual thrillers that seem to be out there. Grab this one for a good weekend read! Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy.

Sally Hepworth does it again! I found myself up late at night reading this book. Just when I think I got the story figured out, it takes another turn.

Thank you Netgalley, Sally Hepworth, and the publishers for this eACR. #Netgalley #thesoulmate