Sally Hepworth is one of my favorite authors. Many of her novels are on my favorite reads list. I will read and/or listen to anything she writes. Once I start her books, I find it difficult to put down until I'm finished.

The Soulmate is an exciting story about love, marriage, loyalty, and secrets!!

Gabe and Pippa have a terrific marriage and are the parents to two wonderful little girls. They now live in the home they have always dreamed about. The view on the cliffs is gorgeous. Unfortunately, there are people using the cliffs as a place to end their lives. Until recently, Gabe has been able to save people from following through on the plan to end their lives.

What was different this last time? Why wasn't Gabe able to stop the woman from jumping?

You know what they say...

Things are not always what they seem.

Sally Hepworth's novels usually have great twists and turns that keep me guessing. The Soulmate was no different. The story had clever twists that took me by surprise. I thought the characters were well developed and the story flowed very well. I really liked the alternating points of view.

I was thrilled to be able to read and review both the audiobook and e-book for The Soulmate. This may not have been my favorite from this author (The Good Sister will be hard to top!) However, I still thought it was a great read .The audiobook was very well performed. The reading style of both narrators was excellent. In my opinion they brought even more life to an already enjoyable story.

The Soulmate was another terrific domestic suspense novel from Sally Hepworth.
I am on pins and needles waiting for more from this very talented author.


I'd like to thank the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

The SoulMate
by Sally Hepworth

review
I read this book in 2 days on the boat. There was no better way to spend a day in the sun on our boat than with this book!

This was from multiple POV which is my favorite. It did not disappoint! It was all in the present tense. I loved how she added Amanda's POV was also included. I wasn't sure where this was book was headed but as I read the book the sequence of events were twisty but they were plausible. I really enjoyed that aspect of the book. Sometimes I just need a book to take me on a ride that could legit happen IRL. This book was exactly that for me.

Read this Book If:
You want a book that invloves shady business dealings
You want a book involving a cliff

TW: suicide

On my Scale of Buy, Bargain, Borrow, Bud & Bust: I'm rating this one a Buy/Bargain just depending on how much you love a good thriller.

I know this book is out now and I'm approx 10000 years late to the party but thank you to for an eARC of this book!!!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I have previously read 4 books by Sally Hepworth: "The Younger Wife", "The Family Next Door", "The Mother-in-Law" & "The Good Sister" & really enjoyed reading her twisty psychological books so I couldn't wait to request a copy of her latest book, "The Soulmate".
Once again, Ms. Hepworth had me glued to my kindle trying to wrap my head around all the twists, turns & secrets.
The story was smart, original & addictive.
I loved how she told the story using dual timelines (before & after) & the point of views from the 2 wives.
I can't wait to read what she decides to write next!

Sally Hepworth’s domestic thriller The Soulmate unfolds through two voices: Pippa, a married ‘wills and estates’ lawyer, and Amanda, the wife of a billionaire. Amanda sacrifices everything to support her husband in his career and often turns the other way in order to ignore some shady business dealings. Pippa is married to Gabe, a stay-at-home dad who looks after the couple’s two children. Pippa tells everyone the two little girls are “Irish twins,” (less than a year apart). At first glance, Pippa and Gabe would appear to have an idyllic marriage, a idyllic clifftop beach home and an idyllic life. The one wrinkle on the horizon is that their clifftop home is actually a well-known suicide spot, and since they moved in, there have been numerous would-be suicides talked down by Gabe.

One day, Pippa and Gabe notice a woman standing on the cliff edge. Gabe rushes out to talk to her while Pippa calls the police, but before the police arrive the woman falls to her death. There was something about the interaction between Gabe and the woman that bothers Pippa–the way that Gabe appeared to argue with the woman, the position of his hands after the woman’s fall. …

From this point, everything starts to unravel. The story unfolds through Pippa and Amanda’s voices, in two time frames. Amanda, it turns out, is/was the wife of Max, Gabe’s one-time boss, and she’s the one who jumped to her death. Gabe tells the police a foolish lie–that he didn’t know the woman who threw herself off the cliff. Given that it’s going to be easy for the police to discover that Gabe knew Amanda, the lie seems … well… as suspicious as hell.

The tawdry tale is told by two women who reveal through their voices, now/then, the inner unhappy workings of their marriages. I am not fond of narrators who are ghosts/dead as questions begin to dart through my head. Can they see everything? Are they in limbo? Plus it seems like a type of narrative cheating in a way. For this reader, Gabe was an incredibly annoying person and Max was one dimensional. As for Pippa… I can understand someone telling themselves (or others) that their lives are great, etc, but Pippa’s delusions are something that need to be addressed by a professional. The book started out strong but then petered out into people being stupid. Looking at online reviews, it seems that many fans were disappointed.

Review copy

Love love love this book. One of my first books by this author. This book kept me wanting to read more. What a page turner! I loved the plot and the suspense throughout the entire book. This book definitely makes me want to read more books by this author.

Remember that line from Shrek where Ogre says to donkey "ogres are like onions; they have layers"? That's sort of how I felt about this book.

It started off as a sad tale of a suicide. A woman jumps off a cliff despite a man's best efforts to help her. Living on said cliff, this man has been in this position before but has always succeeded. What makes this time different? I'll tell you what; lies, secrets, dysfunction, miscommunication, and mental health issues.

And so the story goes. With each page, with each chapter, another layer is revealed and more twists, turns and connections are built into the story. More miscommunications and lies are brought to the forefront and the ugly underbelly of the relationships is revealed. You'd think that would be a big win for a thriller but something about it just felt a little "meh." It needed a little polish to make it shine but I can't tell you exactly what that would be. Not helpful, I know.

The story is told from the perspective of Amanda - the jumper - and Abigail - the wife of the "hero" - in two different timelines. While I thought that part was handled well, I never felt truly connected or invested in either character.

Big trigger warning; I felt like the mental health component of this story was huge and potentially quite painful for some readers because the way Gabe's issues were handled was just so awful...and maybe that was intentional?? Yes, Gabe was receiving professional help but it seemed lacklustre at best. His own wife seemed mostly ok to bumble along and make excuses for his bad behaviour rather than address the gravity of his situation.

That said, it is still a good story and I don't regret my time reading it. I have enjoyed Sally Hepworth books in the past and this wasn't one that would turn me off her writing. It's pretty bingeable, written with short chapters and concise structure. The two POV and two timelines also kept the action moving. By the end, there's a lot going on and some twists to unravel; because of the layers, I feel like once you've started you've got to see it through to the end.

Thanks to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for my e copy in exchange for my honest review.

I love stories by Sally Hepworth and enjoyed this one but I did find it a bit dry in places and another thing this started out so strong and then got sort of repetitive which slowed me down and took me a while longer to read than it should have. I'm not saying it was bad at all! I can't really even put my finger on what bothered me....but I do think most of it was I would grow so impatient with Pippa. So naive and I can't even say I liked her. Towards the ending I can really say she just didn't impress me much at all. She came across as a silly pitiful woman who always needed saving/coddling.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

#netgalley #stmartinspress #sallyhepworth #thesoulmate

While the suspense was great, I just wish there was more to the ending and it all was not as simple. The things we do for love and self-preservation are astounding but Gabe simple only cared about himself. The title of the story was fitting but I wanted more for Amanda and Max

I blew through this one I’m two days. It’s fast paced with alternating POVs and timelines. Short chapters that makes it an easy and quick read. The end I thought was a tad anticlimactic but I enjoyed it overall for a domestic thriller.

Interesting secondary characters!
Pippa and Gabe have been married for seven years and have two girls that are both four years old. They see a woman walking by the cliff edge near their home and Gabe rushes out to talk to her and keep her from jumping in case she’s feeling suicidal. He has saved several people before but this woman, Amanda, falls off the cliff. Pippa wonders why Gabe had his arms out and palms forward as she fell and questions whether or not he pushed her. The story gradually unravels the mystery behind Gabe, Pippa, Amanda and her husband Max. Mental illness and unsure circumstances create uncertainty in Pippa’s marriage but she and Gabe stay honest with each other through it all. I didn’t become invested in the main characters Gabe and Pippa as much as I cared about Max and Amanda. Abrupt transitions made it difficult for me to love this book. The best parts are with Amanda because there’s suspense involved in her story. 4 stars!

I couldn't put this book down. I hink his was Sally's bet book yet. The story is told by two narrators, Pippa and Amanda. Pippa's husband has a talent for talking people off a cliff and Amanda just happens to be the one person he wasn't able to talk down. The story jumps back and forth between the past and present and all the pieces come together and wait until the end. It is fabulous.

Pippa and her family — her dreamy husband Gabe and their two little girls — just moved into a house on a cliff with a breathtaking view. It also happens to be the area’s go-to spot for people looking to end their lives. When the family sees someone alone out there, Gabe goes to meet them to try to talk them down while Pippa calls the police and distracts the girls. Then one day, Gabe’s efforts are unsuccessful and a woman dies — and Pippa is left to question why her husband’s hands were extended out as if he just pushed that person to their death.

But the woman isn’t a stranger, and as the truth unfolds, Pippa has to confront her husband and his lies — as well as her own role in the series of events that led to the death on the cliff.

I love Sally Hepworth so much. Her books always involve some delicious and salacious twists and turns — always reflecting some dramatic family dynamic. The chapters are super short and alternate perspectives and timelines — it made for a quick read!
A solid read, not too spooky, but TW for suicide and mental illness.

I enjoyed this one even more than The Mother-in-Law (which I loved)! Gorgeous setting, unique POV, lovable characters and a story line that will keep you guessing.

In addition to receiving this as an ARC, I also had the immense pleasure of meeting Sally Hepworth in person at a book event on her pub-day. She is an absolute delight. I highly recommend seeing her in person if you ever have the opportunity. If not, follow her on Instagram - you won't be disappointed!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and #NetGalley for allowing me to read a pre-release of this novel. My reviews are voluntary and all opinions are my own.

An excellent thriller that kept me engaged from start to finish.
Pippa and Gabe live in house near a cliff, infamous for people taking their lives there. Gabe is equally as well known for talking people off the ledge and saving their lives. Until one day, he speaks to a woman who jumps anyway. Or did she?

I read and love everything Sally Hepworth writes. The Soulmate was another hit for me!

I couldn’t put it down. It had all of the things I love in a thriller - hooked me immediately, lots of secrets and twists and turns, complicated, multi-dimensional characters, dual timelines and dual POVs.

I really enjoyed The Soulmate and would absolutely recommend it. (Also, how gorgeous is this cover?)

Sally Hepworth twisted a tale that kept me hooked throughout. There were no chapters that felt like fluff and I was definitely kept on my toes the whole way through to see how it would all come together.

The characters were real, and although not always likeable, they seemed genuine and it did make you care to know how their story would play out.

Longtime fan of Sally’s here. Special thanks to St Martins Press for the review copy! This mystery was so good and super easy to get into. My school schedule is what kept me from finishing fast. This is definitely one of those easy weekend reads!

Marriage, betrayal, mental health issues and the perspective from the dead wife. Gabe and Pippa’s dream house lies on the side by the ocean with beautiful views but, sadly it’s become known as a place where people go to commit suicide. Gabe is usually able to talk people down but, one afternoon a woman arrives and chooses her fate. The story is why did she do it and what’s her story?

The way this story grips you from the first chapter and keeps you interested makes it the perfect beach read. The “ghost” aspect is brilliant and ads another perspective. I really enjoyed the latest from Sally, the details are perfectly placed just enough to give you chill bumps as you read through. Characters and story are well developed. Definitely recommend! Four stars!

This was my first Sally Hepworth novel, surprisingly. I enjoyed reading The Soulmate a lot more than I thought I would. There was so much happening! Multi-POV, multi-timeline, and plot twists at every turn. I will definitely be picking up another one of her books in the future.

The Soulmate
By Sally Hepworth
Review and Rating 4 ⭐️

Sally Hepworth seems to be the master of the complicated family dynamic. She tackles this once again in The Soulmate.
Told from the alternating perspectives of Pippa and Amanda, who both feel they have married their soulmates, husbands Gabe and Max respectively.
Pippa and Gabe live in a cliff side home right next to an unfortunately popular suicide jump location. Gabe makes it his mission to ‘talk down’ those attempting to jump to their death by suicide and fortunately successfully does so, until one night he doesn’t.
The repercussions and unraveling that occur because of this make for the twisty and suspenseful Sally Hepworth novel we have all come to know and love.
Keep in mind there are themes of mental illness and suicide throughout. If you love a twist filled domestic drama and haven’t picked this up yet, give it a try! 4⭐️

I want to thank St. Martin’s Press and #NetGalley for providing me with an eARC. All opinions provided in this review are my own.




Book Rating Key
⭐️ Not Recommended
⭐️⭐️ Readable Book
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Good Book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Excellent Book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Near Perfect Book
***Note*** I seldom give ⭐️or ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ratings. If I feel a book is a ⭐️sometimes I just prefer to not finish reading it and not rate it. As for 5 ⭐️books, I think of those as books I would want to take with me to a deserted island 🏝️, and this means I read a whole lot of ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️star books. Happy Reading!

Sally Hepworth's books never have the same formula twice. Some authors tend to write similar plots but Hepworth manages to keep you guessing every time.

In The Soulmate we have alternating perspectives and alternating timelines, but something really unique was hearing from a woman after death. It was a unique way to allow us insight into all the characters. This dead woman's soul serves as our mostly unbiased narrator with the ability to observe almost any scene. I thought this was such a great way to give the reader insider information without a typical POV.

Gabe and Pippa live in their dream house, except for the fact that it's on a cliff side. Let alone the anxiety over keeping two small children away from the edge, they now know it's a popular suicide location popularly known as "The Drop." Gabe has become a guardian angel of sorts, trotting out any time they see a person approaching the edge to talk them down, literally and figuratively, until the police arrive to help. He's saved a handful of people from jumping, until the night he doesn't. Pippa is washing dishes when she alerts Gabe to a woman nearing the cliff. Gabe heads out and Pippa calls the authorities. It looks like it isn't going great, lots of wild and angry hand gestures. Momentarily distracted when Pippa looks back up, only one figure is left on the land, her husband.

What follows is an unraveling of secrets and relationships. What exactly happened out there? And who was the woman who jumped? Did she indeed jump? Pippa finds herself questioning herself and her husband as anxiety and anticipation build. Police and reader alike rush to figure out the puzzle of this apparent suicide.

I really enjoyed this read. It was such a great view into the different complicated relationships in our lives. It shed light on how we see ourselves versus how others see us and how very different those views can be. I was definitely kept guessing until the end.