Skip to main content

Member Reviews

Sally Hepworth has written some amazing books, but alas, this is not one of them. Gabe and Pippa live in a house overlooking a cliff that is a local hotspot for suicides. One night, Gabe is talking to a woman on the edge while Pippa watches from the kitchen window. Pippa looks away for a moment, and when she looks back, the woman is gone. The rest of the story focuses on whether the woman jumped or was pushed.
I felt like the storyline was unique, but there were some implausible plot points. I found Pippa to be extremely unlikeable and naive. I’ve adored some of Sally Hepworth’s books, and I will definitely continue to read what she publishes. But this book was a miss for me,

Was this review helpful?

I am a Sally Hepworth fan and this once again kept me entertained. I wouldn’t consider this a page burner but it does have quite a few twists and turns. and kept me wanting to know more. The character development was good and I liked how she went between characters and labeled the chapters of who was talking and what timeframe they were in.
My only con was I got confused on the little girls age, their responses seemed to be much older than I felt they were. They talked like older children. Yes, this does cover mental illness but I was very pleased with the ending that shows the positive of how you handle it.
Received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my unbiased review – This one comes in with 4 stars.

Was this review helpful?

How far will you be pushed to the edge?
🌊
Gave and Pippa live in a house overlooking a cliff with their two daughters. Unfortunately The Drop has become a place for people to go to end their lives, but fortunately for them Gabe lives in the house nearby because he’s successfully talked down several jumpers…until one day he’s unable to save Amanda. Pippa was watching from the window and saw parts of the events go down, but she wonders: did Amanda jump? Or was she pushed? Their perfect marriage starts to crack under the pressure of what happened on that day and more secrets are revealed along the way.
❤️
I can always count on @sallyhepworth to write an amazing adult thriller that keeps me guessing the entire time. This was a wild ride with several twists I didn’t see coming. Perfect for murder March bingo! Thanks to @librofm for the ALC + @bookofthemonth for the physical copy. This novel releases April 4 everywhere!

CW: suicide, death, mental illness, infidelity

Was this review helpful?

How is it that I have not read any of Sally Hepworth’s books until now?! This is exactly the kind of book that I tend to enjoy with twists and turns that you don’t see coming and keep you glued to the pages. There were a few times that I actually gasped in surprise. This was an incredibly entertaining story that kept me guessing until the very end.

Gabe and Pippa live with their two young daughters in a house that happens to be near a cliff. This cliff has proven to be a popular spot for people hoping to commit suicide. Gabe has earned a reputation for being able to talk would-be jumpers out of the idea until he fails to save one lady. This story is told from both Pippa’s and Amanda’s perspectives. We learn about not only what is going on in the present time but also the history of their relationships and the years leading up to the day Amanda went over the cliff.

Barrie Kreinik and Jessica Douglas-Henry did a marvelous job with this audiobook. I thought that each of the narrators had very pleasant voices that were very distinct so it was always easy to know which perspective was being told. I thought that they were each able to bring just the right amount of emotion to their reading to really bring the story to life. I am positive that their performances added to my enjoyment of this exciting story.

I would definitely recommend this book to others. I was drawn into the story right away and couldn’t wait to see how things would work out in the end. The characters were flawed but I really wanted to see things work out for them. I look forward to reading more of this author’s work in the very near future.

I received a digital review copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio.

Was this review helpful?

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth was an absolute page turner!
Once I picked up this book I devoured it in two days. Full of Secrets, betrayals and twists sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. This fast paced character driven book is Hepworth’s best yet.
This story is told in two POV’s Pippa and Amanda.
Pippa and Gabe live with their two daughters on a cliff known as “the spot” palace where suicide has been known to occur. Since Pippa and Gabe have moved there Gabe has been able to save lives. On one particular night a suicide occurs or does it? Pippa isn’t sure. This is a great thriller!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

4*
Pippa, Gabe and their two young daughters live on a house overlooking a cliff to the beach. Unfortunately, its a spot that people come to jump off of. Gabe has been able to talk down multiple people until one woman comes.

Story goes back and forth from Pippa and Amanda’s point of view. I really liked Amandas’s chapters.

Good thriller with lots of twists.

Was this review helpful?

This was an interesting book. While I was annoyed at Pippa for most of the book, I did enjoy some of the perspectives she brought. I also really liked that Amanda had her voice. I do wish more of the story had been focused on Pippa after the events, and secrets were revealed, as I would've liked to have seen her flourish on her own.

This was very much a slow burn, and while it was enough to keep me engaged, I wish it had been sped up a bit.

Was this review helpful?

4.5 /5

This book was excellent. The twists and turns never stopped coming. I didn’t want to put it down.
One of my favorite books I have read this year!!!

Was this review helpful?

How well do you know your spouse? Can you believe everything they tell you?

Pills and Gabe seem to have the perfect life but with the decision to buy that cliffside home, it changed everything. The Drop has brought those seeking to end things and with that, the need to save them. Until one day when one isn’t able to be unsaved. The unraveling soon begins and only once they want to see the truth will they be set free.

Was this review helpful?

At first glance, this book has all the makings of a captivating read. With an enticing synopsis and stunning cover art, I couldn’t wait to dive in (pun count: 1). However, while the story had its moments, it ultimately fell a little flat for me (pun count: 2).

Pippa Gerard and her husband, Gabe, move to their cliffside dream home just outside of Melbourne with their two young daughters. The view is to die for (pun count: 3)! The cliffs, infamously known as “The Drop,” have become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Gabe has successfully prevented seven suicides but when he attempts to rescue a woman at the edge, she jumps to her death… or did she? Once Pippa discovers that Gabe knew the victim and chose to withhold that piece of information from the police, we’re left questioning if Gabe is hiding something. What really happened on that cliff?

Told through alternating PoV and brief, engaging chapters on two different timelines (before and after Amanda’s demise) between Pippa and Amanda (yes, the deceased victim!), we learn more about them and the secrets they’ve kept hidden within their marriages. The mystery slowly begins to unravel as we uncover imminent truths and rationalize the deceptive facades.

Yet, once everything was resolved, I was still trying to grapple with the concept of how two parents could even consider living in a home like this without having some type of fencing or safety precautions in place to prevent their young children from straying near the cliff to their death. This is certainly my mom-brain doing a metaphorical finger wag here but this tiny, bothersome detail took away a sense of believability for me. At the same time, no one is in their right mind here. *shrug*

Furthermore, while the book explores themes of love, marriage, family, [in]fidelity, and death, it read more like a suspenseful domestic drama as opposed to a [domestic] thriller. It’s a very fine line but I feel like it would’ve been more impressive marketed/tagged as the former. Since I expected a thriller and the unexpected twists and turns that come with it, I was less than thrilled by the end of the book. I think I stoically said to myself, “well, that all made sense.”

Still, I think readers that are drawn to slower-paced, character-driven centric stories would enjoy this book more than I did (it looks like most already do, heh) so don’t let my review talk you off the proverbial ledge (pun count: 4)!

My sincere thanks and appreciation to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Was this review helpful?

Wow! This book hooked me in from the first page. I could not read this fast enough. The Soulmate is my favorite Sally Hepworth book!

Was this review helpful?

I feel very lucky to have read early copies of Sally Hepworth’s last few books. In The Soulmate, the story starts out with a beautiful seaside setting in Australia. Beautiful setting, perfect family with everything seeming to be idyllic. Slowly the perfection is dismantled. Everything is not as perfect as it seems, particularly the flawed characters. I also loved that it was told from two points of view in both the past and present. The story builds to a startling conclusion. This is Sally Hepworth at her best.

Was this review helpful?

I read this one very quickly. I've read several Sally Hepworth books and she does a fantastic job of reeling you in, and keeping you engaged. The characters were all pretty likeable even though they had some indiscretions, I was still rooting for them. Overall I think some of it fell a bit flat for me. Maybe it was the story seemed a little unbelievable. Maybe I needed some more character development to care about the outcome in a de

Was this review helpful?

🌊 A (literal) cliffhanger like NO OTHER … “The Soulmate” by Sally Hepworth is a fast paced thriller that will GRIP you from the beginning and keep you GUESSING!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Pippa and Gabe have settled into their dream house in a quiet coastal town in Australia with their two young daughters. At the edge of their yard is a high cliff that drops down to the ocean … and is also a known place for people to jump their death!

Gabe is known around town for his natural ability to stop people from committing suicide on the cliff. Until one woman actually goes through with it … and she is NO stranger to Gabe or Pippa.

As the identity of the jumper is revealed … Pippa finds cracks in Gabe’s story to the police. WHY did he lie about not knowing the victim?? And what else is her soulmate hiding from her and the police?? This story moves between past and present and digs up the dirt of their marriage. On the outside it looks like Pippa and Gabe have the perfect marriage, but underneath the surface is filled with lies, betrayals, secrets and sinister behaviours.

This domestic thriller is dark and twisted, atmospheric to the core and character driven in the best way! It is told from different character POVs in the past and present, including the woman who jumped off the cliff!!! I loved it and easily could have binged it in one sitting if work didn’t get in the way!

Thank you kindly to @sallyhepworth @stmartinspress @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on April 4, 2023!

Was this review helpful?

The Soulmate was a page turning novel that I would classify more as domestic suspense than anything else.

Hepworth writes characters really well- which as a character based reader, I appreciate- and while there are definitely things happening, it is in my opinion, character driven.

Told in two timelines, simply "then" and "now", and following dual POV's, one of which is the deceased, combined with short chapters -this story moves along quickly.

While things are unfolding I found myself thinking a lot about different comments, or wondering how I would deal with various scenarios going on if it was me in that place instead. No it wasn't intense or deep, but it made my reading more interesting. While I certainly enjoy that in my reading experience, I was surprised to experience that in this type of a novel and was here for it.

I appreciated the take on how mental illness impacts not only the one living with it, but the day to day impact in various areas on their lives and those around them as well. In this novel there is also exploration of/ commentary on marriage that I thought was done interestingly (in a good way), love, family and of course secrets/betrayal.

If you're in it for the mystery, you won't be disappointed as there was a lot of surprises along the way.
I thought I had something predicted and it turned out that while one could argue I was on the road to it, it completely veered and went in a different way which ended up being really interesting and well done. Also the ending was well done and had surprises of its own.

If you enjoy fast paced, domestic, character driven novels then I recommend checking this out.

*I was provided an advanced reader copy (e-galley) for a review. All opinions are honest and completely my own.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this novel. I enjoyed this book, it was twisty and entertaining but not outstanding. It’s the story of Gabe and Pippa, a married couple who live next to “The Drop” a cliff where people often go to end their lives. As the novel starts, a woman is on the cliff and Gabe is attempting to talk her down but fails. It turns out that he knows this woman- Amanda. The book is told in 4 voices: Amanda in the past and present and Pippa in the past and present. It’s an entertaining domestic thriller that also touches on more serious themes such as mental illness. I’d give it 3.5 stars.

Was this review helpful?

The Soulmate is the fourth book I’ve read from Sally Hepworth. Gabe and Pippa's dream home on a cliff in a sleepy coastal town has become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Gabe has been talking them off the ledge until he fails to rescue a victim who he knew, raising questions about whether she jumped or was pushed and causing their seemingly perfect marriage to unravel. This thriller explores themes of marriage, betrayal, secrets, and compliance. This is one of those books where the outcome may feel predictable from the start, but the way the story dives into why it happened the way it did with twists makes this an entertaining read. The author's writing style kept me hooked. I liked the alternating perspectives between Pippa and Amanda (the victim) and the author's use of "before and after" chapters for each character added depth to the story that I found helpful to keep with the pacing of the storyline. I found that I liked Amanda’s chapters more because the author sheds light on the motives behind her actions. Though Pippa’s chapters were necessary for the progression of the story, I found her character to be quite frustrating due to the acceptance of her husband’s behavior. Overall, The Soulmate was 3.5 stars for me, but I rounded it up to 4 stars on GoodReads.

Was this review helpful?

Looooooved this one! In true Sally Hepworth style, I was hooked from the first chapter and could not put it down until the final twisty ending.

Gabe and Pippa live with their 2 young daughters in Portsea, Australia in a cliff side house. Their property contains an unfortunate popular destination nicknamed “The Drop” because suicidal people come there to end their lives. Gabe is good at talking people off the ledge, literally, he has saved 7 souls in the short time they’ve lived there. But one night, a woman is spotted standing at the ledge, and Gabe goes out to work his magic. Pippa is trying to watch the interaction and it appears Gabe and the woman know each other. There is an obvious argument ensuing, lots of hand gesturing and Gabe is breaking the most important rule of stepping toward her. Pippa gets momentarily distracted with the after dinner activities and when she looks back out the window Gabe is standing at the ledge with his hands outstretched….and he is ALONE! Who was that woman? Why were they arguing? Was Gabe trying to save her….or did he push her?

This story was compulsively addictive to read, the pages just flipped themselves!

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book is available for purchase on April 4, 2023

Was this review helpful?

For this one I did a combination of the audiobook and the kindle. As often happens when I have both I hit a point in the suspense where I can’t keep going so slowly and have to switch to kindle to binge it all and know what happens. The narrator grew on me. I didn’t love her in the beginning but as the story went on I think she did a great job bringing it together. This is a story about love and marriage and lies and mental health. I really liked the way past and present came together. Pippa and Gabe have moved to a cliff side home and Gabe finds his calling as being able to talk those suicidal folks who come to jump off their cliff away. Until the night he can’t. What follows throws their relationship and future into question. The only part I had a hard time believing was Gabe’s initial mental health diagnosis. I did like how that storyline ended up though. Overall I gave this one 4.5 stars rounded up for being such an engrossing story.

Was this review helpful?

Addictive and all-consuming is the best way to describe this book. From the moment I started it until I finished, I couldn't stop thinking about the story and trying to figure out what was going on with these crazy characters. I was fortunate enough to receive both an early copy of the ebook and the audiobook -- so when I couldn't sit and read, I was listening. I was completely obsessed.

Our main characters, Gabe and Pippa are living the picture perfect life in an ocean front home with their two precious little girls. But is everything as it seems? Or are there lies hidden underneath the pretty surface just waiting to be told? This book is full of secrets and betrayals but you won't be sure just who is lying to who until the very end.

When you start this gem, carve out a chunk of time because you won't want to put it down. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The narration was wonderful. It really pulled me into the story and helped me to feel immersed. I lost myself in this book and the audio was really part of what helped me to do that. 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the ebook and audiobook. I voluntarily chose to read/listen to and review them and the opinions contained within are my own.

Was this review helpful?