You know how people say if someone wrote a grocery shopping list they would read it? That is exactly how I feel about Sally Hepworth. The Soulmate is a story that gripped me from the first chapter and didn’t let go until the very last page. It definitely would have been a one sitting read if life did not get in the way. The way the dual points of view come into play, including from one character who has passed away, was done so well that I never found myself confused about who I was reading about or what timeline it was (as some of the story is written of the past).
Highly recommend this read, especially to get out of what was about to be a huge reading slump for me!
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

Pippa and Gabe Gerard live in Cliff House near Melbourne. They are the parents of 4-year-old Freya and Asha.

Cliff House has a reputation as it situated on a place known as The Drop. Quite often, people have gone there to jump to their death. However, Gabe has been able to talk many people down with his caring way and save them from death. But, tonight when Pippa sees someone at the cliff’s edge, Gabe runs out and Pippa calls the police. But this time Gabe is unsuccessful and the person jumps. What Pippa saw when the person jumped stuns her because she can’t process whether the person actually jumped or was pushed. Gabe is devastated by it saying he wished he could have saved them.

Pippa works as a wills and estate planning lawyer and Gabe is a stay-at-home father. He is outgoing and dearly loves the girls. He helps out at their school and is friendly to everyone.

When the name of the person who jumped is revealed, Pippa is terrified and she and Gabe work hard to get through a recent problem in their marriage.

At times, this a difficult story to keep up with. The chapters are told between now and then by two of the characters. As I started each chapter, I had to take a few seconds to figure out who is talking and when. That’s a bit disconcerting. The story felt a bit unreal and while the author put together an interesting plot, it just didn’t seem quite believable to me. But I have read other books by this author and know that her books are good. Therefore, I am giving this book 4 stars.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

In Sally Hepworth’s latest domestic drama, two women deal with an act of suicide.
Gabe and Pippa’s dream home is at the edge of a cliff. This cliff off a sleepy town is a popular spot for suicide. Most times, Gabe can talk them down before the police can arrive. But one night he can’t save the woman trying to end her life. Pipa finds out that Gabe knew the victim Amanda and didn’t tell the cops. As a lawyer Pipa doesn’t know what to do. Does love or the law win?
The story itself makes you question what people are actually thinking and doing. While you are presented with one thing, we second guess what our narrators are telling us. Can they be trusted? Do they truly understand the people they are describing and talking about? The ambiguity of the characters and their actions spur this domestic thriller.
My favorite part is that Amanda narrates her story from beyond. This gives an interesting insight as the story unfolds. Meanwhile, her story is also told in the past as Hepworth bounces from the past to the present for both women. Some of the past drags on but when Hepworth drops an important tidbit, it’s a shocker that changes how the reader perceives the present.
Overall, this is an enjoyable book.

The Soulmate is a twisty, gripping domestic suspense about Gabe and Pippa who bought their dream house that backs up to a cliff. The cliff is notoriously called “The Drop” due to people coming to jump from the ledge.

Gabe has been able to successfully talk 7 strangers from off the ledge and failed one woman. Pippa is surprised to learn the identity of the woman is Gabe’s former boss’s wife. Gabe doesn’t tell the police that he knew her and Pippa doesn’t tell the police that it looks like Gabe pushed her.

The story is told in Pippa’s and Amanda’s (the deceased woman) POVs. It was interesting and engaging about marriage, mental health, trust and betrayals. I didn’t love the ending but I mostly enjoyed this thriller.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC. The Soulmate is out now.

This was the twistiest thriller! The setting is absolutely one of the characters. I loved the multiple timelines and multiple points of view. Just when I thought I understood what was going on, a big twist was around the corner. I don't read a lot of thrillers because I'm always disappointed by figuring out the twist before the intended time. However, I'm always on my toes until the very end with Sally Hepworth's novels.

This was such a good one! I’ve read The Younger Wife and The Good Sister by this author and really liked them! When I saw she was coming out with a new one, I had to check it out! The book really reels you in and was such a good pace the entire time! I felt interested and drawn in from the start all the way through. I thought this was written great, but I did not like the twist at the end! I did find this one addicting, when I wasn’t reading it - I was thinking about it!! Thank you so much @sallyhepworth @netgalley @stmartinspress for this advanced reader copy! This one hit shelves April 4th! Be sure you check it out soon!

Thank you to Sally Hepworth, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I hate narratives that jump around in time while also switching POV. Those narratives make the worst audiobooks, because if you're distracted for even a moment, you might miss a switch and become confused.

However, this story could not have been told well without a nonlinear chronology. Hepworth uses it to reveal twists brilliantly, to gradually increase the tension and the stakes. I still don't like it, but it's hard to be mad when it's done so well.

I also want to take issue with Amanda's omniscient POV--it felt like cheating somehow--but it was also well utilized. You don't realize how well until the final chapters; without Amanda's POV, we couldn't have understood or sympathized with Max.

I can't decide how to feel about Pippa. On one hand, she seems too stupid to live. On the other, as Pippa herself describes, Gabe was a storm of charm, energy, beauty, and vulnerability that swept her up and carried her like a piece of debris caught in a tornado. She felt like a shade of beige made interesting only by the refractive glow of his neon. And his good did much to mask his bad; he was a good father, and at times he was a good husband and person in general, but his self-centeredness and entitlement, coupled with his mental illness, made him toxic.

I want to judge Pippa for not realizing that sooner--the way they met raised all kinds of red flags for me--but I hesitate because.... No, you know what, I'm judging her. (view spoiler) She was so emotionally needy, her self-esteem and -respect so low, that she was a prime target for someone like Gabe. He gave her a little attention, and she worshiped him for it. She was the perfect enabler for him.

And her stupid, well-intentioned family--they were concerned enough to pick up their lives and move when Pippa did, but they never said anything? There's not wanting to meddle, then there's turning a blind eye. Moving is kind of a big deal, you'd think they'd want to try an honest conversation before it came to that. Were they that afraid of confrontation? What did the mom's mother-in-law do to the mom to make her so afraid of interjecting?

But all that was exactly the point of the book. A portrait of how circumstance and perspective could cloud reality and objectivity, could obscure the obvious.

No, for all I wanted to dislike this book, I have to admit I think it was well and effectively written.

Thank you for the advanced copy of The Soulmate from Netgalley. This is my voluntary review.

I loved this suspenseful women's fiction story. Everything looks ideal on the outside. But when their life reboot turns tragic, the family fault lines grow and crack open. Issues they thought they'd put to rest, reemerge, bringing with them new lies, mistrust, and betrayal.

Told in dual first-person points of view, the story from the present to the past seamlessly, slowly revealing how they all came to be at the cliff's edge. You will think you know who the title is about, but don't be too sure.

The twist at the end will keep you thinking about this for a long time to come.

An unputdownable page turner. Told in the POV's of two wives. Pippa, wife of Gabe and Amanda, wife of Max. One of them is dead. The POV's are told in before the death and after the death. It was a great way to write it because you are never really sure about the "why" it happened until the very end. The book is suspenseful and does have some dark terror in the story. It is amazing how just a lack of communication or a little lie can change the course of people's lives. It touches on the darkness and paranoia of bipolar disease. It also touches on the fact that if you really love someone you tend to overlook or not see their short comings. This is a great read and I highly recommend it.
Thanks to #netgalley, #stmartinspress and @sallyhepworth for an ARC of this great book.

Sally does it again with a fast paced, exciting and mysterious book. I love how she weaves character stories together until you come to the truth of the story. This one touched on a lot of interesting storylines such as marriage, suicide and mental health. I was unsure how things were going to wrap up and I love that about her books where you are constantly shifting your mindset.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC of The Soulmate. Told through alternating perspectives of a wife and mother of two girls, and a suicide victim, this is a twisted tale of 2 couples whose lives are intertwined in complex and multiple ways. A setting near a cliff where people come to commit suicide plays heavily into a story of deceptions, misunderstandings, and compelling characters. Definitely a page turner with twists and revelations that will satisfy fans of suspense and thrillers. Kudos to Sally Hepworth for another intriguing tale.

Rounding up to 3.5 stars –

“They forget the most important thing about loyalty: Sometimes it’s warranted. . . sometimes it’s not.”

The first half of this book really held my attention, but the second didn’t keep it. The overall plot and characters were very interesting, and I thoroughly enjoyed the pace and shorter chapters. I was left with wanting more even with the twist at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank St. Martin's for providing a copy of this book to review. If you are looking for a thrilling read that will keep you on the edge of your seat? Look no further than Sally Hepworth's book, The Soulmate. I couldn't put it down and had to read it in its entirety, sacrificing a good night's sleep in the process.

The story starts with the mysterious death of a woman, leaving readers questioning whether it was a tragic accident or something more sinister. Written from multiple points of view and in two timelines, Hepworth expertly weaves a captivating tale that will leave you guessing until the very end.

With a rating of 4.5 out of 5, I can confidently say that this book is a must-read for anyone who loves a good thriller. But be warned, once you start reading, you won't want to stop until you reach the satisfying conclusion. Don't miss out on this incredible book - I know I'll be eagerly waiting for Hepworth's next masterpiece.

🌊 A R C • R E V I E W 🌊
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Title: The Soulmate
Author: Sally Hepworth
Rating: 4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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I'm a huge fan of Sally Hepworth, so I was super stoked to get an eARC and ALC of this one. 
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This had one of my most favorite formats - being told in dual points of view and also in a dual timeline - before/after a certain situation. The “After” for one of the characters was very unique to the story and i liked that a lot! This story is woven with so many twists and turns that I didnt see coming that I actually found myself actually saying "no fucking way" multiple times. Each revelation was timed perfectly to add the right amount of wow factor. The Souldmate also deals with a ton of different topics such as mental health, suicide, marraige, faithfulness, lies/secrets, domestic/family drama and more that you really find yourself invested in the story. I felt like I kept wanting to dig deeper and deeper into these characters lives to see what else they were hiding. 
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I had a hard time putting this one down and finished it quickly. The many twists, unlikeable characters with many secrets and short chapters really kept this one exciting. I didnt think the ending was anything incredible like some of her other books (though never in a million years could I have ever figured out that ending - definitely didnt see that coming), but it was interetsting enough for me to enjoy. I'm back and forth as to how I feel about the mental illness representation. I can asy without a doubt, Hepworth nailed the characteristics of one of these main diagnoses. However, I felt like at a certain point when it was blantantly obvious what was going on, that it felt like it was brushed under the rug almost; maybe that was the point? But whatever, I digress...
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Listneing to this one while reading was a blast. Looking for a new audiobook?! Look no further - this one was really very good. I love going between the audio and reading (and then doing both at the same time) but I must say I followed along with the audio no problem from the start. This is the perfect thriller to listen too!!! The two narractors playing the two main characters were awesome.
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Overall, I enjoyed this one and definitely recommend to all thriller lovers, especially those who love Sally Hepworth! Huge thank you to @sallyhepworth, @netgalley @macmillinaudio and @stmartinspress for the eARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review. The sooulmate released this week, be sure to check it out!
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#netgalleyreview #netgalley #earc #electronicadvancedreaderscopy #alc #advancedlistenerscopy #audiobook #manipulation #mentalillness #marraige #domesticdrama #familydrama #twistsgalore #dualtimelines #dualperspectives #thesoulmate #sallyhepworth #macmillinaudio #stmartinspress

♡︎ ♡︎ ♡︎

𝐀 𝐑 𝐂 • 𝐑 𝐄 𝐕 𝐈 𝐄 𝐖

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞
𝐁𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐩𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 𝟓/𝟓

If I was not a busy SAHM, I would have devoured this book in one sitting! I was eating up every word the author wrote.

I do not normally read thrillers, so when I got this book I didn’t know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by every twist and turn this book takes you on! The different POVs really helps you get to know each individual character through the females’ POV.

If you are looking for a domestic thriller, this is your book. It didn’t scare me like I thought it might. I was searching for answers behind every page! I was on the journey with the character.

I LOVE THIS BOOK.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me this book unexpectedly a few days before it released! I’m happy I got to review this eARC for you and Sally Hepworth! What a lovely experience.

♡︎ ♡︎ ♡︎

2.5 stars

Before I start, just a quick disclaimer: I’m one of the outliers who didn’t like this book much, so I won’t have too many good things to say about it in my review. If this is going to be an issue for those reading this, then I suggest stopping right here. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Ok, so here’s my unpopular opinion: overall, I really really disliked this book — to the point that I struggled to write this review because I had trouble choosing which of the myriad of “issues” to rant about. Below is just a smattering of things I had a problem with (not all-inclusive of course).

First, the writing, which to me, felt quite different from the previous Sally Hepworth novels I had read. The writing this time around felt stilted and choppy and a bit elementary if I’m being honest. There was a lot of “I did this, then I did that, then I did this” (and by A LOT, I mean pretty much every chapter — there are 87 chapters) — with much of the detail being about unnecessary stuff that had nothing to do with the plot (honestly, does it matter to me that a character ‘went to the supermarket, pulled out a cart, walked down the aisle, put stuff in the cart’? Nope!). What made this worse was that the entire story was told from the first person point of view, so it sounded super awkward to hear the characters describe their own mundane actions (I.e.:“I picked up the laptop, I walked over to the table, I put it down and I opened the lid”). This also made the story feel unnecessarily long and dragged out — which normally wouldn’t be a problem except that this is supposed to be a domestic thriller / suspense novel and mundane details like this bog down the plot.

Speaking of the plot, that was another thing that didn’t work in this story. Many of the plot points felt contrived and forced, but what bothered me the most was the ridiculousness of the main character Pippa’s story arc — for much of the story, I found myself alternating between wanting to slap Pippa (more on this later) and suspending my disbelief every couple pages at the repeated stupidity of some of the characters’ (mostly Pippa’s) actions/behaviors/decisions (wait, she swept his behavior under the rug AGAIN?!?!?!).

And that brings me to what irked me the most about this story — the characters, all of whom weren’t just unlikable (“loathsome” is probably more accurate), but frustratingly so, to the point that I couldn’t bring myself to feel anything but annoyance with all of them (but especially with Pippa). The way Pippa’s character was written, she felt like a caricature rather than a real person. It didn’t make an ounce of sense to me how Pippa was portrayed as a smart, confident lawyer and doting, assured mother of two young daughters one minute, but the next minute, as soon as her husband Gabe walks into the room, she becomes someone who deliberately buries her head in the sand, ignores all red flags (even the obvious ones that even she herself says are problematic), gets defensive whenever anyone says anything remotely critical about Gabe, second guesses and lies to herself over and over (and over and over and over again), and basically adopts an incredibly naive (not to mention frustratingly stupid and irrational) “I can’t live without him so I must turn a blind eye and find excuses for his repeated s**tty behavior regardless of how that negatively impacts me or the kids” attitude. To be honest, Pippa is exactly the type of nonsensical character that I absolutely cannot stand in any story — basically a twisted variation of the “damsel in distress” archetype but a hundred times more annoying because she is actually capable of “saving” herself and getting herself out of the many bad situations she finds herself in, but she chooses (repeatedly) not to do so, then justifies her decisions / actions with one lame excuse after another. To me, it seems that even the author Hepworth finds this behavior problematic, as there is a scene near the later part of the book where Pippa’s sister Kat confronts Pippa about the irrational way she constantly excuses her husband’s behavior/ actions…Kat basically lays into Pippa, asking her point blank “how long [is she] going to live like this?” When Pippa gives a by-her-own-admission pathetic response (the exact quote is “A pathetic response, I know, but the only one I have.”), Kat replies: “Fine. But I can’t support you anymore. Not when you keep acting so damn stupid.” My sentiments (toward Pippa) exactly!!

As I stated earlier, there were a lot of things I disliked about this book and I honestly only touched on a few main ones, but I will stop here. One thing that I did like was the ending, which I thought was done well, but unfortunately, coming at the tail end of the story, it was “too little, too late.” This was also one of those rare instances where, throughout the entire time I was reading, there were multiple moments that I was tempted to DNF the book (I have a rule about finishing every book I start, which I don’t break often, so the fact I felt like DNFing is a big deal for me) — but I ended up plowing through it (albeit painfully).

I think I will be taking a break from Hepworth’s books for the time being, as this one obviously left a bad taste in my mouth and I honestly wasn’t too keen on her previous book, The Younger Wife, either (I detailed the reasons why in my review of that book so if you’re curious, feel free to check out that review). But then again, this is just me and my specific tastes — I didn’t take to this newest book but many others did, so I suggest checking out those reviews as well for a more balanced perspective.

Received ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.

When Pippa and Gabe moved their family to a new house near a beautiful cliff, they had no idea how the house would change things for them. But as it turns out, the cliff is known as The Drop, and it’s where people come to jump.

The first time they look outside and see a stranger standing on the cliff, Gabe went out to talk to them while Pippa called the police. Gabe managed to talk them down, as he has with several others since. There was even a newspaper article about how many lives he has staved. Now, when Pippa calls the police, she just has to say her name and they know what’s wrong.

But this time, even though Gabe goes to talk to the woman and Pippa calls the police, just like always. But the woman goes over the cliff anyway. Pippa stayed inside the house, keeping an eye on their two young daughters, and she can’t help but feel something was wrong out on the cliff. Gabe had been standing closer to this woman than he usually gets. His hands were up. Pippa can’t put her finger on it, but something feels different about this one.

The police show up to investigate, and Gabe tells a story that is different that what Pippa thought she saw. She’s not sure why he did that, but she doesn’t feel like she can contradict him. She lies about what she saw. And then, a couple of days later, she sees the newspaper article. The police finally named the victim, and the woman was Amanda Cameron, the wife of Gabe’s former boss, Max.

Pippa had no idea that the woman on the cliff had been someone that Gabe knew. But it did make her wonder what exactly happened on The Drop that night. Is it possible that Pippa’s husband had something to do with Amanda’s death? And if he did, what kind of trouble is Pippa in now that she’s lied to the police for him?

The Soulmate is the latest from bestselling Australian author Sally Hepworth. It’s a layered slow-burn thriller that throws the reader into the action, literally, and then carefully goes back through all the secrets of both couples, dropping bread crumbs to the truth until the end. It’s a little crazy and intense, but it all comes together in the end.

I really enjoyed The Soulmate. Narrated by Pippa and Amanda in alternating chapters, both in the past and the present, it tells the story of two marriages. It’s about love and loyalty, mental illness and support systems, fidelity and family. And when you get to the end and all the pieces come together into the bigger picture, it’s a remarkable moment of clarity and awe at what Hepworth has been able to put together. This is an exceptional domestic thriller and a compelling read.

Egalleys for The Soulmate were provided by St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Pippa finally feels like she’s found her happily ever after. The perfect husband (yeah they’ve had their ups and downs but what couple hasn’t) and the perfect home. The only downfall is their perfect home sits on a cliff where people have mad a spot for suicides. Every time Gabe is able to miraculously talk people off the cliff and back to safety until the night he doesn’t. Pippa is at a loss of what she may of saw. Did her husband push the woman or did she jump? Once she learns her husband knew the victim she begins to question his story even more.

This is a very addicting domestic suspense book! So many twists and turns that caught me off guard with each new secret coming to life. I loved having all the different POVs especially that of the victim gave the story an exciting perspective.

The main couple is Gabe and Pippa, who live in a house near a cliff. They have two children. Pippa supports the family financially, and Gabe takes care of the house and the children. Pippa is uneasy about the cliff, which isn't far from their house, and has no barrier. One day she looks out of the house and sees a woman standing near the cliff's edge. Her husband Gabe is with her, and Pippa doesn't find this strange - it's not unusual for him to go out and make sure that the people out there aren't planning on jumping. He has talked several of them down. Except .. there was something different about this time. Suddenly the woman was gone, and her husband is standing there with his hands palm out. Pippa doesn't know what to think. Did he push her? There is much more to this story - Gabe's former job, his boss, missing money, and a deal with the wrong people.

This is one of the most interesting and unusual books I've read in quite a while. It includes themes of marriage, deception, mental illness, infidelity, suicide and forgiveness. I recommend it to everyone who likes a complex story with a lot of suspense. There is also a twist, which I don't want to give away. The hints are very subtle.

My thanks to the publisher St. Martin's Press for a digital review copy of this book. It was my pleasure to voluntarily read and review it.

Sally Hepworth's best book yet! I loved this quick, suspenseful read and have been recommending it all around lately. It's a twisty thriller that doesn't feel heavy or like it's following the same thriller script that has been done before. It is unique, fresh, and just the right amount of terrifying. I enjoyed getting into the plot and picturing the drop/cliff and seaside location. It's filled with love, family, betrayal, and suspense. If you are enjoy reading domestic, psychological thrillers, this is one to pick up!