Gabe and Pippa had a whirlwind romance. But after a few bumps during their marriage, they end up moving away to a sleepy coastal town. Unfortunately their property has a cliff in the backyard that is a well known suicide spot. Over the years, Gabe has become a bit of a legend for talking people out of taking their lives. When a woman appears on their cliff, it is the first time since living there that Gabe wasn’t able to be persuasive enough with his gift. The police start an investigation into this suicide. It turns out that it wasn’t just a random woman and that Gabe has more to hide than he’s leading on. Pippa has always stood by Gabe’s side through the good and the bad. Will these new insights be her breaking point?

This has been my favorite Sally Hepworth book so far. The story was intriguing and heartbreaking at the same time. I liked that the point of view changed between Pippa and Amanda. I especially liked that Amanda got to see everything play out after her death and we were able to hear her insight and revelations after the fact. It was interesting to get more intel into how mental illnesses manifest and how they are easily misdiagnosed. I really loved Pippa’s character. She was such a shining light in forgiveness and hope. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the gifted eARC in exchange for my honest review.

🌊 Pip 🌊

⭐️ - 4

There's always something alluring about marriage and murder. Finding out who you're really living with and how they truly affect your life. The blinders we wear for those we love and the lengths we'll go to to protect and remain loyal at all costs. Not everything is as it seems, and sometimes our happy endings are not fairy tales. I love Sally Hepworth and the way she spins a story that keeps you guessing and on edge (no pun intended). The twist and turns and "omg" moments make her writing so perfect that you will want to stay up late like I did to find out the full truth and see who your spouse really is.

Gabe and Pippa have moved into their dream house. The only problem is the cliff by their house that is known as a suicide spot. Gabe is great at talking them off the edge, until one day he isn’t and a woman falls to her death.

Sally Hepworth is by far one of my favorite authors. While this may have been my least favorite of hers, it was still enjoyable. I was sick when reading it, so that may have affected my enjoyable level. I guess we all have to have a least favorite.. even from favorite authors! I didhttps://www.netgalley.com/member/book/260649/review# enjoy the short chapters and alternating view points. It just went in a different direction than I was expecting.

“That’s another funny thing about marriage. Sometimes when you look back on it, the worst moments are in fact the best.”

The Soulmate comes out 4/4.

The Soulmate is a riveting page-turning thriller. It is closely in line with other Sally Hepworth novels and will also be enjoyed by those who liked The Woman Upstairs and The Last Mrs. Parrish.

Set in modern day Australia, the Soulmate alternates between the narratives of Pippa and Amanda both in present day and the past. as we try to determine what happened to Amanda and who is to blame. You'll whip through this book as you try to put the pieces of both women's lives together to discover what happen that fateful day at The Drop. Altogether a quick read and a great escape novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

The Australian seaside setting and questionable death make a perfect combination for an engrossing thriller. Gabe and Pippa have moved to the coast with their two girls and into a house with a disturbing history. Throughout the years people have come to jump to their death from the cliffs just outside the house. Gabe has been known to talk people out of jumping, so when a mutual acquaintance shows up at the cliffs and talks to Gabe before her death Pippa questions if it truly was a suicide. With Flashbacks and dual points of view you immediately get sucked in to the characters and their lives, both past and present. I was expecting the story to acknowledge suicides and mental health, but they are both very much their own characters which I appreciated. If you are looking for a beach read for spring break, this is it!

Loved all the twists and turns and constantly being on the edge of my seat. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this incredible book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advanced reader copy.

I could not put this book down. Short chapters with cliffhangers and twists throughout. I was hooked from the very beginning. I enjoyed the aspect of the first person view from both female main characters. This is not something I’ve seen done a lot and I think it added to the story significantly. This is my first book from this author, but I definitely want to read her backlist.

Book Review
The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth

Tropes
Suicide
Infidelity
Marital drama
Mystery
Depression
Multiple POV

Did I like this book?

Long answer
I could get fancy and talk about the how expertly Hepworth weaves a tale about social relationships, the human connectivity, the nuances of dealing with
Mental health issues and the consequences that leak into every aspect of ones life ….. I could go on about the lies and misdirection as the
Mystery evolves but all of that would just be me being fancy…..

Short answer
I liked it. A lot.

Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress For my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

Oh my GOD. This book did not let up the suspense and twists for a single chapter. Every time I thought I had the story figured out, I’d get a new piece of the puzzle and it wasn’t even close to what I thought was happening. And it was so fast paced. There was something happening every minute I was reading. I loved not only the alternating POVs of Pippa and Amanda, but also the Thens and Nows of the timeline. They went back and forth PERFECTLY. And the characters were all written so well and so complicated. Everyone felt a little unreliable which made the story even more mysterious. Not only was this a great domestic suspense novel, but it was a really good look at marriage and family and mental illness. This is my third Hepworth and now my favorite. I’m just blown away by this book. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
TW: mentions of suicide, mental illness, violence

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

Great pacing and an interesting ending. This story kept me guessing and had some surprising moments. It's more than a thriller, it touches on some human issues as well. Thrillers usually get me hooked and then end up with an over the top twist that just upsets the story but this never made me pause with need to suspend belief. I will read more from this author again. I like her storytelling style.

This book had me hooked from the start.
I surprisingly enjoyed the dual pov/time line. I just read over that was a bit harder to follow, but this one was pretty straight forward.
The twists weren't very twisted but I still liked them .
I recommend this book and author.

While doing dishes one night, Pippa notices someone on the edge of the cliff of their dream home. He husband, Gabe goes out to talk to this lost soul, like the ones that have come before, but this time a life isn't saved. Pippa swears she noticed something funny about the interaction but it isn't till she realizes Gabe knew the victim that she questions their past.

This book kept me interested and looking forward to each chapter and answering questions that just kept coming. It was a two POV book that I thought I wasn't going to like. It ended up explaining a life I didn't know I needed to know. The characters were well developed and explained.

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth. Thank you to the publisher for a digital copy of this book prior to publication. I have loved Sally Hepworth’s past novels and was very excited to read this one. I found the cliff setting (TW: suicide) very interesting in and of itself which prompted me to question whether I would knowingly purchase a house near such a popular suicide spot. The book reads easily although there are multiple layers to the story. I questioned the decisions of the main character but it fit with the plot. This was another great Hepworth novel that will stay with you after completion.

Thank you St Martin's Press for the gifted copy of The Soulmate {partner}

Genre: Mystery
Format: 🎧
Pub Date: 4.4.2023
Star Rating: ☆☆☆.5

“We trust people based on the strangest, most arbitrary things. None of which have any bearing on whether you or not you are inherently good.”

In this unique dual-perspective story, the reader looks at the relationship between two seemingly devoted couples. But, as in most domestic suspense novels, secrets lurk just below the surface. But the question is, how dark are these secrets, and how far are the couples willing to go to keep them hidden?

The Soulmate offered a relatively quick read/listen- I believe I finished it in just under 48 hours. The short chapters and interesting plot lines made me find many excuses to listen to my audiobook. And I loved the narrator too, so it was a delight to read.

I applaud Sally Hepworth and how she handled a particular element of mental health in her book. She did so with careful regard for those who do suffer from this while at the same time not allowing that character to fall back on their illness as an excuse. I see a lot of authors attempt to tackle mental illness with their characters, and they either get it all wrong, OR they create an offensive character. Sally Hepworth did a phenomenal job tackling mental illness in The Soulmate.

✌🏼Dual narrative
🗣️ Interesting perspective from one of the narrators
📖 Short chapters
🎭 More of a family drama with suspense
🙃 Ending left me a tiny bit underwhelmed

❌ suicide

You can find my full review on my blog (link in bio).

I recommend reading The Soulmate if you enjoyed reading The Wife Who Knew Too Much by Michele Campbell.

What’s the last mystery you read that had you 🤯?

______
#TheSoulmate #SallyHepworth #Suspense #domesticsuspense #familydrama #bookreview #Bookreviewer #bookstoread #mybookishlife #bookobsessed #Bookrecs #netgalley #audiobook #audiobookadvocate #audiobooklover #booksbooksbooks #mybookaesthetic #Bookworm #bookbabe #bookstagram #currentlylistening #currentlyreading #stmartinpress

This was a unique concept. Edgy and atmospheric. I just kept turning the pages faster and faster to see how it was going to end. Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for review

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a good story and I enjoyed the discussion of mental illnesses. The format of the then/now and before/after chapters helped to make this story feel full circle.

It definitely wasn’t as thrilling as I was expecting but I enjoyed the twist at the end. A good story!

What makes someone your true Soulmate?
What defines a perfect marriage?

“Maybe the key to our marriage was that we didn’t make loud proclamations? Maybe, for us, love was something to be whispered. Or, perhaps, never spoken of at all”

This is my second novel by Sally Hepworth and it certainly did not disappoint. The Soulmate, a domestic suspense novel, absolutely captivated me. I wouldn’t necessary call it a thriller. Nevertheless, it had me on the edge of my seat for the few hours it took me to finish this.

I enjoyed the structure of this novel: 2 narrators, past/present, with short chapters that made me breeze through this ARC. I usually find relationship and character build ups slow and boring, but Hepworth made it enticing. I was able to really gage the relationship between Pippa & Gabe/Amanda & Max, which made this novel even better.

The ending was unexpected, and not the usual thriller ending. However, it tugged at all my ❤️strings and I was all for it.

I really love how this novel made me ponder about the meaning of marriage. What people portray as a perfect marriage doesn’t necessarily mean it’s perfect behind closed doors.

Thank you Sally Hepworth, St. Martin’s Press, & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me an ARC copy of The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth.

Pippa has a great life. A loving sunbeam of a husband and two doting little girls. They live in a quaint cottage on a cliff in a quiet coastal town. With family close by and everything they need; it was a perfect spot. The only downside is that the cliff in their back yard is a popular spot for people to end their lives. Pippa’s husband, Gabe, has earned a reputation for being the angel that always talks people off the ledge. Literally. Until one night Pippa watches a woman slip through Gabe’s hands – or so she thought she saw. What feels like an unfortunate accident spirals into a deep web of lies, betrayal, and chaos. Does Pippa even know what really happened? And worst of all, does she really know the man she shares a life with?

The Soulmate was an interesting thriller set by multiple narrators. Every character felt unreliable and that seemed to add to the tension of the story. I don’t know why I wasn’t super invested in this book. I read it rather quickly and I was perplexed by all the turns these characters went through. I think I put too much of my personal input into how I would have reacted to these situations. Ie, I would have been long gone at the second red flag with Gabe. I also did not like any of the characters, but I think that was almost intentional. The author could have been showing that they are all broken people who live messy lives. There is a little bit of all of us in that. In the end, I would give this book 3.75 stars. Not my favorite from the author, however I will continue to read her books in the future. If you are looking for a thriller that keeps raising your eyebrows, give this one a try!

Sally Hepworth always does a great job at making her books very readable. Chapters end in a way that makes you need to keep reading "just one more!" Her storytelling draws you in quickly and her intriguing characters keep you there. The writing is easy and flows well.

This was a fun domestic thriller. The twists weren't expected which I appreciated. Nothing super memorial but a fun time while reading.