
Member Reviews

Ms. Hepworth does it again with a style all her own. A page-turner that grabbed me from the first scene. An intricately interwoven story told as they author does best with strategically placed reveals that only heighten the reader’s enjoyment. The characters were very real and prove that you never know what goes on behind closed doors. A solid, enjoyable read. Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The "Queen of domestic suspense," and master storyteller Sally Hepworth (a favorite author), returns following, The Younger Wife with her latest highly anticipated addictive domestic thriller, THE SOULMATE.
A deep dive into family dysfunction: the good and bad sides of marriage. Guilt, love, loyalty. How far will they go for their family's sake? What wouldn't you do for your soulmate?
No one does twisty and dysfunctional better than Sally! I adore her, a big fan, having read all her books and all 5 STARS. She and her family light up social media and leaves a smile on your face.
As Sally quotes: "I like to think of it as a murderous love story. Unconventional, of course, but that's what I do."
AGREE!
Hepworth creates an atmospheric setting with her eighth novel, drawing you in from page one. Gabe and Pipa Gerard have been happily married for seven years with two daughters. They have purchased their dream home that overlooks a cliffside ocean with breathtaking views in a small coastal town outside Melbourne, Australia.
The cliff has been a popular spot known as "The Drop" for people to end their lives. Seven people have walked away. Gabe has become a whisperer who talks people down. Gabe makes people feel safe. The media calls him an angel.
Now, the eighth person was not so lucky.
When Amanda Cameron, the wife of Gabe’s former boss, Max—shows up near the cliff, Gabe goes out to work his magic as usual. However, this time the woman goes over the edge to her death. Was it a suicide?
When Gabe fails to save the eighth, a sordid web of secrets begins to unravel, pushing bonds of loyalty and love to the brink...
When Pippa discovers Gabe knew the victim, the questions spiral...
Did the victim jump? OR was she pushed? What secrets and admissions will be made after the woman's recent death?
Pippa is a lawyer, and she finds herself lying to the police. Does she doubt her husband? Gabe has had mental health issues in the past. Pipa is also hiding secrets. Gabe also has secrets.
We hear from two POVs: Pippa (then and now) and Amanda, the woman from the cliff— (before and after).
Nothing or no one is as they appear.
With tension mounting between Max and Gabe, there is also the missing mysterious flash drive. Are their lives in danger? The author combines suspense, betrayal, love, danger, and infidelity to keep readers turning to the final explosive conclusion as secrets unravel.
SALLY DAZZLES! Twisty and highly creative. Her best yet! The best thriller for mental health, marriage, and domestic suspense. Top Books of 2023.
A warning needs to come with THE SOULMATE. Wait to start reading until you have time to read the entire book. Unputdownable! I finished at 3:26 am and started before I went to bed.
I was fortunate to receive the e-book and the audiobook. I read the e-book about eight months ago and then listened to the audiobook more recently, which was fantastic.
AUDIOBOOK: 🎧 Narrators Barrie Kreinik and Jessica Douglas-Henry gave a captivating performance! I could almost hear the waves crashing at the bottom of the cliff.
As always, Hepworth pulls out some major shockers and is a master at twists, marriages, secrets, and deception in marriage. She covers some highly charged topics of mental illness, health, family pressures, parenting, child-rearing, career stresses, adultery, and more with compassion and sensitivity. Highly recommend!
Thank you to #StMartinsPress #MacmillianAudio and #NetGalley for a gifted ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review. Also purchased the hardcover copy. #SPMInfluencers
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@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 💙Stars +
Pub Date: April 4, 2023
April 2023 Must-Read Books

OMG this one kept me guessing! It was a fast read in that I had to know how it was going to end.
Pippa and Gabe had a meet cute and a quick courting that is what romantic dreams are made of... so much that Pippa may over look some of Gabe's most concerning qualities...
Then Pippa and Gabe move to the coast to their dream house... one problem.... it is right at a cliff that is frequently used by people who no longer want to live. Gabe has a charming personality and is able to help many people walk away from the cliff alive... until one night that changes everything. Does Gabe know the woman? Did she jump? was she pushed? Who can you believe?
How far will you go to help the one you love even if you aren't sure you should be protecting them?

This is my second novel by the author and there is no doubt that she is well versed in plot twist. I liked it…I didn’t love it; it just didn’t have me engrossed. I wouldn’t consider this a thriller or even suspenseful, but it is a good mystery. The story is crazy, but a good crazy! Up until the very end I was trying to figure out why.

Sally Hepworth is simply a linguistic genius! This story has an array of layers that you peel back page by page. The story begins with an alleged suicide off of a cliff that has been known as a prominent spot for people to jump from. Pippa and Gabe Gerard's home sits right next to this spot and Gabe has rescued many people from a treacherous fall. Pippa is absolutely enamored by her husband, despite his murky past alongside an undiagnosed mental illness. She has stood by his side through many battles but her loyalty is what she always promised him. The wife of Gabe's former employer (Amanda Cameron) happens to appear on the cliff and Gabe attempts to save her and she falls to her tragic death. The story truly unfolds from here shedding light on more of Gabe's darkness along with the truth about Amanda's fall. This story has countless twists and turns and the ending left me feeling saddened but also happy. I enjoyed the whirlwind of emotions invoked by this book!
This is one of my favorite reads from Sally Hepworth and I truly appreciate being approved for an advanced copy!

Great author and perfect narrators. The synopsis was interesting and the book was even better. I loved the dual storylines and it was an intriguing psychological thriller. This will definitely be a popular summer read!

4/5
“Funny how love can remain, despite everything.”
ARC BOOK REVIEW: The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth
PUB DATE: April 4, 2023
I want to first start by saying thank you to Sally Hepworth, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pippa and Gabe live in a cottage that so happens to be next to a cliffside that is known for individuals showing up who want to end their lives. But since Pippa and Gabe have moved in, Gabe has been able to save every person who has shown up to “the drop”, that is until one day he doesn’t. When the tragedy of life is lost, the police investigate a little bit longer than usual which has people wondering, it was the death an accident or was intentional. Was there more to the story that Gabe, Amanda, Pippa, and Max wanted to believe?
This was my very first book by Sally Hepworth and the Soulmate was done in a very unique and creative way. I love how Hepworth used the “past and present” perspectives along with the “after” perspective of Amanda. I haven’t encountered a book that has this perspective of an “after”, and how she had Amanda looking down at the situation unfolding presently was pure genius. I ate this book up in two days and yes, it grabbed my attention, keeping me interested, unfortunately, the ending fell shorter than “the drop”. I thought the conclusion was poorly crafted; she built up such an incredible plot only to arrive at an anti-climactic end, in short, it was bland and generic; this is why it lost a star for me. Nonetheless, if you want a fast-paced novel that makes you wonder about the actual truth that lies in a dark time, then this one is definitely for you. It was a great quick suspense thriller.

It's been a while since I've read a Domestic Thriller and I really enjoyed this one. There are dual POVs and nonlinear timelines.
The first POV is Pippa, a lawyer, mom of two, and wife of Gabe. The second POV is of Amanda, photographer and housewife who goes over the edge of a cliff while talking to Gabe.
Uncovering the truth from the lies, this read is fast paced while exploring relationships, motives, and deceptions. My favorite character was Amanda and the relationship she had with her husband Max. The relationship between Pippa and Gabe was stressing me out but I absolutely loved Pippa as a mom.
My gripe with this one was the feeling of getting beaten over the head with descriptions of how attractive Gabe is. I GET IT, HE'S HOT.
Holding my full attention from the first chapter until the epilogue this book is easily one of the most unputdownable ones I've read so far this year.

Sally Hepworth has certainly earned her reputation for writing unputdownable thrillers and she's done it again!
Loved the dual POV in this twisty thriller that really left me guessing and left my JAW ON THE FLOOR.
I won't say much more to give anything away, but know there are SO MANY surprises!

Fast fun read! A thriller about marriage, secrets, and betrayal.
"There’s a cottage on a cliff. Gabe and Pippa’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. Night after night Gabe comes to their rescue, literally talking them off the ledge. Until 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 facade of their marriage begins to crack, the deepest and darkest secrets begin to unravel."
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Sally Hepworth, and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
I was shocked at how much I enjoyed this! I've seen Sally Hepworth's books everywhere, but I always get wary about mystery/thriller authors who are super popular because sometimes I feel that the books can be repetitive. However, The Soulmate felt like a fresh read that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading with a few genuine twists I didn't predict. I haven't read a book so quickly in a few months; I was hooked from the beginning, and I was truly drawn into the world of Pippa, Gabe, Max, and Amanda. I liked the way the story was told, going both between tenses and between narrators. It helped to reveal the story and its many layers in different ways that kept me guessing throughout. For a domestic thriller, I thought it was well done, and I enjoyed getting to see the different sides of everyone's stories. I do wish Hepworth would have explained some plot points better, as there were a couple of loose ends that the story would have benefitted from fleshing out a bit more, but none took away from my overall reading and enjoyment of the story. I definitely look forward to checking out her other works now!

Pippa and Gabe live near The Drop, a popular suicide spot, and that Gabe isn't able to save this mysterious woman one day. Pippa begins to question it, which she should.
But really what this book is about is marriage, and how it looks from the outside versus the inside. The book is told in alternating POVs, between Pippa and Amanda (the woman from The Drop), as well as alternating timeliness, before versus after. This book is mostly about the characters, their secrets, and how everything is connected, the death at The Drop just happens to be the event that sets the path to reveal in motion.

Another twisty thriller from Sally Hepworth. She really knows how to create atmosphere and tension. I could nearly hear the waves crashing at the Drop Off and picture the craggy cliffs outside Pippa's home. I always appreciate the subplots in her books that seemingly separate each other only to come to a satisfying cathartic climax. Once again she kept me guessing until the end. It certainly was a white knuckler. I look forward to her next offering!

Another good story from Sally Hepworth! I can count on her to write a page-turning domestic suspense book. I particularly liked the story being told from the two points of view, interesting choice and it worked! (Trying not to give anything away!)

4.5 stars rounded up
In The Soulmate, author Sally Hepworth has crafted a complex story of marriage and murder. Told in three timelines—then/before, now, and after—and from two POVs, the main protagonists are strong, determined women with husbands and various relationship troubles. Pippa is a busy estates lawyer married to Gabe, a complicated man who parents their preschool girls Freya and Asha. Amanda is the wife of uber-wealthy businessman Max Cameron. They are child free by choice, and keep fidelity the touchstone of their marriage.
Beginning as a murder mystery, this story also morphs into an exploration of the good versus the difficult sides of marriage, and the complications of parenthood, wealth, and mental illness.
The author’s skill at juggling three timelines and multiple POVs made this domestic drama unfold beautifully with each character becoming more fully fleshed out and multidimensional as the chapters went on.
No spoilers here: I was surprised a couple times, and found the twists and reveals in the last several chapters riveting! The development of a character that is omniscient and who comments from multiple perspectives is particularly effective—you guess which one!
Hepworth is so adept at crafting suspenseful domestic thrillers that I always look forward to her new books, and believe this is one of her best works!!
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first Sally Hepworth novel but it certainly won't be my last. I loved the dual point of view on different timelines. The past and the present and how they diverged to make a very thrilling and suspenseful story. Gabe, Pippa, Amanda and Max are such interesting characters with history that played well into the plot. I would recommend this book!

Dear Sally,
You’ve done it again. How absolutely brilliant of you.
Love,
Amanda
Do not - I repeat - do not schedule ANYTHING when this book is published. I can guarantee it will soak up every bit of attention you have and then some.
This is a beautifully written book about the ups and downs of marriages. It’s also about murder and the lies we tell ourselves and the secrets we keep.
I LOVE that there was a twist at the beginning, middle, and end. I didn’t have to read the entire book only to find the big reveal within the last few pages. I was treated to the delightfully twisted throughout the novel. I batted 1 for 3 on the twists. Sally has this genius way of giving you a little, letting you in on the secret, and then revealing the secret in its entirety that has your head bobbing all confidently- I KNEW IT- until she continues and you suddenly stop- wait…WHAT?!
I believe it to be interesting that I walked away from this novel with more insight into the husbands - both Gabe and Max- than I did into the women. Maybe it’s because I identified more with the wives? Maybe it was intentional. Either way, Sally paints a painfully accurate picture of mental health that gives a glimpse into what it is like being married to someone with an illness. I feel, in the actions taken by Pippa - or perhaps her inaction at times - I see her a bit more clearly. Amanda, a bit difficult to understand her motives at times, shines through in her later years with Max.
I’m not going to recap the story. You can read the description. Just know that this is an edge of your seat thriller that will reward your reading time and time again.
Thank you to NetGalley for the digital reviewer copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this read. I kept putting off other things to read it and trying to finding small pockets and windows to get back to this story and find out what was going to happen next. This was a unique found family story and mystery all rolled into one and I enjoyed how the story unfolded, and how both Amanda and Pippa were the story tellers from two different vantage points. I was happy that Pippa was able to find the peace that she needed, even though I was a little bummed that Gabe, was alone in the end.

I’ve been seeing nothing but good reviews for this book, so I was really excited for it. I really enjoyed this one! It checked off some of my favorite things in a book - short chapters, multiple POVS, dual timelines and multiple twists that I did not see coming! Highly recommend, especially if you’re looking for a quick read!

✨ BOOK REVIEW ✨
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Pages: 336
Goodreads: 4.0
Finally out of my reading slump and this was definitely the best way to come back! This book kept me on the edge (LITERALLY!!) the whole time. The author had perfectly placed twists and had me guessing what the heck was going on the whole time. The Soulmate is about the crazy things you do, how long you will turn a blind eye, and what secrets you will keep for the people you love.
A quick two day read and I can officially say, after this book and The Mother-In-Law, Sally Hepworth is an auto-buy author for me! I highly recommend her to anyone that enjoys the Mystery genre.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Pippa and Gabe purchase a new house on the coast with a beautiful view, but what they later find out is that the cliff outside of their kitchen window is called “The Drop” where people go to commit suicide.
Handsome and charming Gabe, can always talk the person off the edge of jumping and is somewhat of a hero in the town for literally saving lives. Until one day a woman shows up and within moments of Gabe talking to her she disappears with his hands stretched out…reaching for her? Pushing her? With no one around to see what happened, Pippa has to trust that her husband is telling her all of the truth.
Thank you for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for a review!
Be sure to add this book to your cart for when it publishes on April 4th and happy reading! 📚