Pippa and Gabe Girard moved to a cliffside home outside Melbourne with their two daughters for a fresh start. However, the Girards soon learn that their home is close to “The Drop” where many people go to end their lives. Gabe is handsome and charismatic and has made a name for himself for being even more successful than the police at talking people out of this. However, one evening Gabe runs out to help a woman standing near the edge of the cliff, but is unable to stop her from saving a woman from falling off the ledge. Something seems strange about this to Pippa and she wonders if Gabe could be lying and what other secrets he might be keeping.

This story is told from different timelines and different points-of-view, both Pippa and the victim’s. It is a long time before the reader learns what happened to cause the Girards to feel like they needed to move to a new town. There is much back and forth and twists and turns in this story that sometimes it was dizzying. Just when you thought you knew what had gone one in Pippa and Gabe’s life, something new would be revealed. I enjoyed both the past and present narration by Pippa as well as the past narration by Amanda, the victim. However, I think there are other ways that what Amanda said could have been told without her narrating from beyond the grave.

There are so many surprises in the plot of this book, that it’s hard to comment on too much without giving something away. I will say that although I didn’t care for some of the choices made by the characters, I found the story to be compelling and I was eager to find out all of the secrets in the lives of these characters. I like that answers are given at the end and we get a glimpse into what the lives of main characters look like in the aftermath of everything that happens.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance copy of this ebook. The ebook was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Wow! I new going into this book that it would be more than a thriller, Sally Hepworth also gives you all the feels in the books, but this was unexpected.

The twist between Amanda & Max (times 2!) was so refreshing & made you ache and root for them all at the same time.

I also loved to see the growth of Pippa & how she came to understand her families intentions.

This was a very interesting take on a domestic thriller. This story is told in both dual POV and dual timeline (before and after.) I wanted to really like this book because I love a book that ties strings and connects events and people in an interesting way…but this was not the greatest connections for me. I felt like the connections and relationships were really a stretch and I absolutely hated one of the POVs. I felt like the only reason for this particular POV was just so we knew what the other characters were doing at any point in time, and I just wasn’t crazy about it. I also didn’t like that it felt like mental illness was supposed to be the villain in this book. I can completely relate to how mental illness can change a person and destroy a family…trust me…I get it…but I just felt like mental illness itself was being villain-ized and for whatever reason it made me feel icky. Overall this was not my favorite but there were parts of it that were parts of it that I enjoyed and I did not see the twist coming because it came out of left field.

I’ve enjoyed all of Sally Hepworth’s books. This book plays on the fact that you may never really know your spouse. So much of the book was did he or didn’t he push her? Hmmm…
Plot was a little thin for me, but it did keep me guessing until the end.

Hello, and welcome to my review of The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth. After checking other reviews for this one on GoodReads, I am absolutely an outlier with my thinking, so you may not want to base your opinion solely on mine!

Things I liked: A thriller set on a cliff, which has become a popular suicide jumping location; you can't really get more atmospheric than that! A small twist early on, which led to two different narrators; although I had no issues with either perspective, I preferred Pippa more. I found one side of the mental illness representation done very well. The characters were unique and lived by their own set of rules.

Things I didn't like: I guessed the main twist very early on, and basically, that's what happened. There was a lot going on, but it was also a really boring thriller. There was an additional mental illness aspect that I didn't think was handled particularly well. I didn't really like one of the characters, although they ended up coming across well by the end of the book. I wasn't thrilled at all, nor did I find this book especially mysterious; I wasn't really intrigued by any aspect of this one.

Things I liked (2.0): The cover is really pretty! I enjoyed how the book was written; I liked the female perspective when the plot itself involved more of the men - this added an interesting spin.

That's it. I really don't have a lot to say about this book.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the complimentary copy to read and review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good drama and suspense. This one was fantastic- pretty believable with great character development. I really appreciate how the author writes characters that are 'perfect' on fist glimpse but slowly teases out their imperfections. I also really love the multiple time lines and points of view.

I think this is the classic thriller while still possessing qualities that are different and one of a kind. I love that you also get the perspective of the woman who jumped, Amanda, and the couple who helps, you are left questioning if he's really as good as he seemed. It was so intense for 3/4 of the story then the end kind of fell flat. But overall was a great story.

I'm sorry to the author and publisher but I just couldn't connect with the story. 4 main characters which went back a forth on the before and after the death of one of the characters. I had to repeatedly go back and see which character I was reading this time....just too confusing. I really wanted to like the book but I couldn't.

I did finish it but wasn't impressed.

I will leave my review on NetGalley but will not review on Amazon Canada so it won't hurt the authors ratings. I will not be reading anymore of the authors books

Again so sorry

Sally Hepworth writes in this subtle way that is so tricky. I always think I know what's happening and then she blows my mind at the end. This story is no different. I thought over and over that I knew what happened on that night at The Drop, but didn't have all of it figured out. This story of Pippa and Gabe and their life together and apart is so addicting that you will stay up late and ignore the dishes. It reads fast, keeps a quick pace and always makes you want more.

I wound up listening to the book, but I'm sure it would have been great to read as well. Very suspenseful with plenty of twists and turns, it's a story of family and deep, dark secrets. It kept me guessing and I did not figure out the ending. I really liked the Australian accents and the way the narrator did the many character voices in the novel.

Sally Hepworth is always reliable when I want a good mystery/thriller read, and this book was no exception. Although the first half was a bit on the slower side, I was constantly trying to figure out what happened and where things were headed. There were a few "loose" plot points that I am not sure would have gone down that way in real life, but I was able to get on board. I loved the small town coastal setting (rI really want a cafe like Dev runs near me). Despite all my guessing, I did not anticipate the end of this one in many ways, but it worked.

A good mystery/thriller that was both engrossing and disturbing. What really happened on the cliff that night?

The published description:
"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."

There is a serious issue in the book that Hepworth portrayed well. The characters could have been developed more though - I never really felt close to any of them. I did like the plot and enjoyed the read. The tension built as the secrets began to unravel.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on April 4, 2023.

Pippa and her husband Gabe live near a cliff that is a known suicide spot. While Gabe is typically able to talk people quite literally off the ledge, he's unable to do so in its latest visitor. Told from different perspectives, Pippa learns there is more about her husband than she initially realized.

This is my first book by Hepworth and I've heard so much about this book so I was excited to read it. I like the short chapters and the different perspectives (and timelines). Hepworth did a great job of building the suspense and adding in some twists that I wasn't expecting. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I may be in the minority of opinions here, but this book was not doing it for me. I wasn't invested much if at all in Gabe or Pippa. I started to like the change of POVs from Pippa to Amanda, but the characters were not pulling me in. They were lacking in something. I found myself not wanting to see what happened and it felt mundane and predictable. While this book may be right for some, it wasn't for me.

This psychological suspense/thriller is about married couple Pippa and Gabe, whose house is by a cliff that is a notorious suicide spot. Gabe has literally talked multiple people off the edge, but one night a woman dies - and then Pippa finds out it was not a stranger to them. The book alternates Pippa’s perspective, both in the present and flashing back through her courtship and marriage to Gabe, and the dead woman Amanda, who we not only see in the past, but also is some kind of ghostly presence able to observe what happens after she dies.

This was one page-turning, twisty book which created a great, can’t put it down atmosphere. I did guess a few of the twists, but others took me quite by surprise. And when I say I didn’t want to put it down - well, it’s not uncommon for me to start a book one day and finish it the next. But I can’t remember the last time I started and finished a book in the same day - but I did with this one!

I’m a longtime fan of Sally Hepworth, even before she started writing thrillers, and have read all of her books. This was not my most favorite of her books (that would be The Good Sister of her thrillers and The Things We Keep of her non-thrillers), but it was such a fun read that I am sure fans of hers will enjoy.

Soulmate??? I’ve always had mixed feelings about this word and have often been suspect of it based on the interpretations of it by so many. Hubby says it’s because of the “cautious optimist” in me, which he says he loves😊 Anyway, the book summary is kind of vague and basically just introduces the MC’s and the primary premise.

The story begins with a short history of the suicide cliffs that are outside of Gabe’s and Pippa’s backyard and can be viewed by their kitchen window. It’s the perfect place for people to jump off and kill themselves and over the years, Gabe has managed to talk quite a few people off the cliffs until the night that a local woman, Amanda, dies. Gabe says she jumped but Pippa is pretty sure that’s not what she saw from the kitchen window. This is not a spoiler since it is revealed very early in the story.

After that, we get the Reader’s Digest version of Gabe and Pippa’s whirlwind romance, marriage, and parenthood (thus far) of two, preschooler, daughters. Good grief!!! It became apparent pretty early (at least to me) that Pippa is an idiot!!! Although, some will say that she is just a hopeless romantic the way that she ignored all the red flags about Gabe and their brief courtship. However, these days, it’s just plain stupid for single women to ignore certain character flaws and defects about a date and a relationship. This is also not a spoiler because it too is revealed early in the story.

It’s been nearly 30yrs since I was single and dating, but the kind of behavior that Gabe exhibits is just as suspect now as it ever was back in the early 90’s when I was out there dating. I have single friends and relatives and they would describe Gabe’s pursuit of Pippa as “love bombing”, same old crap as before, just a different name. Don’t even get me started on his behavior after they married, but then Pippa is no angel either. Anyway, I guess the author had to characterize Pippa and Gabe in such a way in order to move the story along.

The entire story flips back and forth between Pippa and Amanda as well as back forth between the present day (after Amanda dies) and the past (before Amanda dies). I’ve always found it kind of weird reading a story where one of the MC’s is already dead and their narration is portrayed like they’re some kind of spirit watching over the living as they tell their story. Even Amanda finds it kind of weird indicating that she can’t tell if she’s in heaven or hell. She also admits, she’s no angel.

Anyway, by the halfway mark, there is clearly a secondary storyline that I won’t mention it because that would be a spoiler. The details of this storyline pop up periodically in the story. By the 60-70% mark, the reader has had a pretty good view of the screwed-up marriages of both Pippa and Amanda to their respective hubby's, Gabe and Max.

In the last 20% of the story, it’s not really a merging of the two storylines since they’ve been merging for a while at this point. It’s more like that slow burn that has finally reached the point of combustion. Unfortunately, it wasn’t that big of a blast or surprise, at least not for me. Even the aftermath (which should have been designated as the epilogue) with its major reveal wasn’t that big of a surprise. I actually liked the aftermath, a lot, and felt it actually brought a satisfying end to the story.

For most of the story, this was really a 2-2.5star read, for me. However, I liked the finale, hence, the 3star rating. For me, a good ending can be the difference between a 2or3star rating. I typically don’t read a lot of these kinds of stories: domestic thrillers where the MC’s are screwed-up, married, couples. Hubby says that my horrible experiences with hubby #1 has probably jaded me in regards to bad husbands, real or otherwise. Perhaps. There’s probably some truth to that😊 However, I also don’t like the way some authors characterize some of the wives in these types of stories as ignorant saps. I’ve said this before and I feel compelled to say it again, my fave MC’s are smart, savvy, strong, bad@$$ women.

For me, the appeal for this book was the blurb in the book summary about Gabe talking people off the cliff that I found intriguing. I’ve always been fascinated with that type of scenario and the people who have the ability to do something like that. Additionally, a couple of GR members I follow really liked the book. I want to thank NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

@NetGalley @StMartin’sPress @TheSoulmate

The Soulmate is the second book by Sally Hepworth that I've read and she's becoming one of my favorites. The story revolves around Gabe and Pippa, a couple who moved their small family to a cottage with a oceanside cliff view in Melbourne. The downside to this view is that it's a popular destination for suicides.

Gabe is charismatic and has a reputation for saving those that don't wish to be saved. Hepworth does a great job portraying Gabe as the perfect husband, coworker, and father. Which, to me, causes the other characters to fall flat. The story is told from the past and present of Pippa and the before and after of Amanda, who is the latest to take a fall from them cliffside.

I loved the idea of the plot, but again the characters other than Gabe fell flat to me and I could feel "bad" for any of them or the circumstances they found themselves in. The story had plenty of domestic thriller twists, but I felt that the end was rushed and other plot points were glossed over.

I'd like to thank Sally Hepworth and the generous folks at Netgalley for providing an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I rated this 3.75 stars (rounded up) for the rollercoaster ride, execution of multiple perspectives, and the setting of this book. I'm a new fan of Sally Hepworth and look forward to consuming more of her books. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Not bad, not great either, Gave 3 stars.

Positive was that the book was fast paced and kept my attention and interest throughout. Negative is that I disliked the portrayal of Gabe's mental illness.

I really enjoyed The Younger Wife last year so I was really looking forward to this one! I enjoyed the dual POVs and timelines as well as the surprising twists. The pacing was fantastic and I was satisfied how everything came together in the end. Highly recommend if you enjoy domestic thrillers!