From the very start, this novel captivates its readers. I must confess, I anticipated the conclusion to be a letdown, as I couldn't fathom how the author could possibly bring the story to a satisfying close. However, I was proven wrong, as the ending took me completely by surprise. The twists are meticulously crafted and unpredictable, leaving me gasping in astonishment.

Hepworth skillfully delves into somber and tragic situations throughout the narrative, while also addressing the effects of mental illness on individuals, their lives, and their relationships.

I've read a few of Sally Hepworth's novels and they don't disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, I feel it was more grounded than some of her other works. There are plenty of secrets, I love the way the author just kept revealing more and more as the novel progressed towards the end. There are twists on top of twist and the last about 70% of the novel FLIES by.

From Amazon:
Picture a lovely cottage on a cliff, with sloping lawns, walking paths, and beautiful flowers. It’s Gabe and Pippa Gerard’s dream home in a sleepy coastal town. But their perfect house hides something sinister. The tall cliffs have become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Over the past several months, Gabe comes to their rescue, literally talking them off the ledge.

Until one day, he doesn’t. When Pippa discovers Gabe knew the victim, the questions spiral. . . .Did the victim jump? Was she pushed? And would Gabe, the love of Pippa’s life, her soulmate . . . lie? As the perfect façade of their marriage begins to crack, the deepest and darkest secrets begin to unravel. Because sometimes, the most convincing lies are the ones we tell ourselves.

The novel speaks to marriage, identity in a relationship and how relationships define us, secrets (MANY) and mental illness. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy. The Soulmate is out now!

Sally Hepworth is one of a kind. She takes plots, like the one in The Soulmate, that feel a bit "been there done that" at first, but she shifts expectations right on their head and turns her books into something I truly cannot put down. She hasn't had a miss for me yet.

In the Acknowledgements, Sally Hepworth describes this as a "murderous love story" which is what makes this book so compelling. It' s equal parts a juicy mystery and an examination of a marriage. I could not put this book down. Highly recommend.

This was my first Sally Hepworth and I can't wait to read more.
*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.

With short chapters, duel POV (each with a then & now), and lots of secrets, The Soulmate kept my attention for the entire book. There were a handful of fun plot twists & the ending had me smiling.

My first book by Sally Hepworth and I was hooked by this story. The twists and turns kept me awake till the wee hours of morning.

Gabe and Pippa have recently relocated to a beach front town. Unfortunately their new home is located near a cliff known as the Drop. The couple find out that this is something of a known suicide spot, with a number of people jumping from the Drop directly behind their home. Gabe has a had a successful run of stopping jumpers, talking them down and keeping them calm until professional help can arrive. All is well until Gabe isn't successful. What made this time different? Follow Pippa and Gabe as they deal with the aftermath of a witnessed suicide. How did they get here and where do they go from this point?

Sally Hepworth has done it again. Not many can write the nuances of domestic drama like Sally. I really enjoyed following the story in real time as well as flash backs to how they go to the house in the first place.

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: Mystery/thriller📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
I couldn’t put this one down, there were so many twists

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Lots of twists
Domestic/psychological thrillers
Engaging reads
Fast paced books with a few heavy themes
Dysfunctional relationships
Books where nothing is as its expected
Mysteries with a little bit of romance

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
Short chapters
Mental health discussions
The setting

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
I didnt love the characters
I thought it was a little weird that Amanda had a POV
Some twists were OTT

This is my 4th book by this author and my favourite so far remains The Good Sister, but I have to say, she certainly knows how to write a book that's difficult to put down until you finish it. I really did not put the pieces of this book together at all while reading and was definitely keen to get to the end and find out how it all played out. Books like this are a perfect airplane/vacation/beach read and this one will be popular this summer for that understandable reason.

The audiobook was well narrated and easy to follow despite several perspectives. If you enjoyed The Younger Wife, I think you'll enjoy this new one too and there are fewer characters to keep track of as well. I know that I, for sure, will never look at a cliff edge quite the same way again 😮

3.5 stars, rounding up to 4.

Hepworth knows how to write a good thriller with unexpected twists, that’s for sure! I always love how she takes heavy topics and turns them into a good story with intriguing characters and a can’t-put-down plot. Though I will say I wish there had been more character development — all of them felt pretty surface level. But overall, it’s a gripping domestic thriller that revolves around mental illness and how much it can affect the people you love.

Really liked the emotional, full-circle reveal in this one, as well. Once I realized that was where it was going, I realized just how obvious it was all along, but that’s the beauty of Hepworth’s writing. She loves to make you think the answer is anything *but* the simplest one!

Wow. While I totally loved this book, I did get frustrated at the female main character a few times....maybe it was written so that would happen? Super easy read, and interesting. I totally would recommend this book to all my book friends. Final thought. You can only forgive so much.

I really, really liked The Soulmate. It starts with someone intentionally stepping off a cliff. As we get the back story to the why and how the character came to be at this place, we find out about some deep secrets that link unlikely characters together.

The Soulmate was definitely more than an average thriller. The twists are truly unexpected and shocking. Definitely grab this one!

The Soulmate
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Thriller
Author: Sally Hepworth
GR: 3.99

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

My Thoughts: This was a captivating thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I absolutely devoured the audiobook in less than 48 hours. Pippa and Gabe have been married for 7 years with 2 daughters and just purchased a house that rests near a cliffside that is both beautiful and dangerous. Unfortunately, this cliffside is a popular suicide point. Gabe becomes a local hero talking people down the cliff until he doesn’t. Is her husband who he seems? Can their love sustains his horrible tragedy?

Content warning of infidelity and mental health. This story is told in a dual POV, by Pippa and Amanda (dead) in two timelines, past and present. The past fills in the gaps for the future. While there is a central mystery happen, this more character driven than plot driven. The plot is very interesting premise. The characters were well explored and developed with mystery, intrigue, and creative. The author’s writing style is suspenseful, twisty, and brilliant. This is my first Hepworth book but will not be my last, I have added her backlist to my TBR.

I highly recommend picking up the audiobook on this one. This book is full of betrayal, deceptions, and secrets revolving around two couples. When you think you have it figured out, another plot twist with a surprising evening. I was invested in the story and it was hard to stop listening/reading once I started, I had to know how it ended, what the twists were. Go pick up this book today at the store or the library!

Hepworth's last novel, The Younger Wife, fell flat for me so I was anxious to see if this was a return to the things I've enjoyed in her previous novels.

It was.

To those looking on Gabe and Pippa appear to have a charmed life in their seaside home with their two darling daughters. The house does have a dangerous cliff in their backyard which is worrisome for the children's safety and for the people who have come to jump to their death. But charming Gabe has managed to talk everyone away from the ledge, literally and metaphorically. Until he doesn't.

Now begin the twists and turns and suspicions. Who was the woman? Did Gabe know her? Is he telling the police everything he knows? All this would have made for a routine suspense/thriller. But Hepworth give us complicated back story, inside peeks at relationships that aren't what they seem and the perspective of the woman who perished at the cliff.

I enjoyed this fast paced family drama and especially the thoughts of a dead woman, who can tell tales.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

On the outside, Gabe and Pippa look like they have it all. A beautiful home near a cliff, 2 adorable daughters and extended family that love them dearly... but now, Pippa is wondering if buying their home near the cliff was a wise decision. The cliff is a known site for people to jump, likely ending their lives. Enter, Gabe. Gabe is somewhat of a local hero in the fact that he has talked several individuals out of jumping. But when he doesn't get through to one and there are some odd circumstances around the case things get interesting.

Okay, Sally Hepworth. I literally finished this book in 24 hours. It was very good and obviously bingeable! I loved the dual narrator perspectives and the storyline. My only "complaint" is that certain things were really predictable, but overall, I really enjoyed it and would recommend to others!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sally Hepworth and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This had a whole bunch of twists and turns. So much so it actually took away from the story. Was really hoping to enjoy it more than I did.

📖My Thoughts📖

This was the first time ever that I was lucky enough to be granted an arc for a Sally Hepworth book, so that in itself cranked the excitement level way up to read this book! I’ve read one other book by this author, and can honestly say, man does she bring her “twisted” game to the table! The secrets, webs of lies and deceit, laced with utter misunderstanding is the perfect concoction for this book. The chapters are short, which for me is a plus. The writing just simply flows so elegantly. This was told in a nonlinear timeline with dual points of view making the story that much more intriguing. To say that the story was gripping, would be an understatement. I couldn’t put this one down. This is definitely a must read for those who enjoy thrillers and/or Sally Hepworth. The ending wasn’t what I was expecting, so that’s my only real criticism. It wasn’t bad per se, it just didn’t have the big bang of satisfaction I was expecting, but overall it was an amazing book. There is a strong theme of mental illness included throughout the book and I believe it was depicted very well.
Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Sally Hepworth for the opportunity to read and review this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Soulmate was a quick-paced enjoyable read, it kept me interested enough to want to know what happened, I found it to me more domestic suspense than anything. This story followed Gabe and Pippa and their little family after they moved to an oceanside home overlooking a steep cliff. Gabe is a known hero for helping steer people away from suicide at the cliff by their home, until one day a woman falls from the cliff, and Pippa starts to suspect it didn't happen exactly as Gabe described.

What follows is a lot of back and forth between Amanda (the woman who died) and Pippa, as well as a lot of time jumps from past to present. The two POVs and the time jumps offer a bit more suspense, but ultimately I found many aspects of this book predictable or unrealistic. There are a few unexpected twists, but I didn't find this book gripped me like I hoped it would.

3.5 star read for me.

Please be aware of content warnings before reading this book, ie: mental health and suicide.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read this ARC for an honest review.

3/5

“The thing about marriage a lot of people don’t understand is that you don’t get everything. Some people get passion, others get security. Some get companionship. Children. Money. Wisdom. Status. Then there is trust and fidelity.”

Well, this one fell flat for me friends

This was my second SH novel – and I will say, Sally does a great job of writing domestic dramas involving dysfunctional families.

I did enjoy how two completely different martial issues were portrayed and the complexities that surrounded each union

I enjoyed the first half of this book MUCH better than the last half. I felt like there was an unnecessary plot point –

There weren’t any stand out moments, and the twists felt very sub-par.

The SUPER short chapters were a HIT for me and there was an *extra* pov chapter that was VERY intriguing and was my favorite part of the book!

This one felt more like mystery plot than a true thriller but it’ll still work for a Thriller Thursday post

Overall, the twists along with the “big reveal” were meh. This won’t be a read that will stick with me BUT gimme 1-2 page chapters ANY DAY!!

As always, I loved reading this with the #thrillabookstaclub!

Sally Hepworth does it again! Just about every time I thought I had this one figured out, there was new information given to throw me off. I love when a thriller can still surprise me! The setting of this one was fun and unique. I also loved the look into being a wife and mother. It took me about 75 pages to really get caught up, but then I couldn’t put it down!