I am a huge fan of Sally Hepworth and this one did not disappoint. As always she brings twists and turns to the simplest of storylines. She kept me guessing until the end without making things too over the top. I thought the perspective of the dead wife was a really interesting way to tell pieces of the story. It was unique and something I had to adjust to but ended up liking. I will recommend this to my audience.

I received a complimentary egalley of THE SOULMATE by Sally Hepworth thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley. I also received the advance listener copy thanks to Macmillan Audio!

THE SOULMATE begins with a house on a cliff. Gabe and Pippa are living in the home of their dreams, but the place has a darker context as well. Being placed on a steep cliff over the sea, their location is known as a popular spot for suicides. Gabe and Pippa are known to the local first responders after several close calls when Gabe has successfully talked people off the ledge.

On this occasion things are different and the woman goes over the edge. It is tragic, but surely no one is to blame that Gabe wasn’t able to save her. When the woman is identified and a connection to Gabe and to the family is found, Pippa must begin to question everything.

I have enjoyed Sally Hepworth’s books in the past, some more than others, and I am happy to say that this one really worked well for me. I wound up binge reading the whole book in one afternoon! It deals with some heavy concepts with suicide being a central theme, but it delivers a really strong and twisty story along the way.

This book primarily follows two POVs between Pippa and the woman who dies going over the cliff ledge. Both perspectives go back and forth in time to tell the story of how they all came to be here. The story delves into complicated relationships and a lot of secrets from the past.

The author managed to pull a few surprises into the story that I didn’t predict and I really had fun with the book overall!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Sally Hepworth for the advanced copy of The Soulmate in exchange for my honest review.

I will level with ya'll. At about 80% in I was fully prepared to not like this one, but the ending truly saved it. I definitely don't want to spoil anything so I will only say there are two main reasons I ended up enjoying it so much: 1. The big twist at the end, and 2. Pippa's ultimate character arc.

I also loved the alternating point of view chapters (and they were nice and short, hooray!), as well as one of the viewpoints being from the victim!

I adore Sally Hepworth as a human being and an author, and I'm thrilled this one ended up delivering for me in the end!

The Soulmate will be on US bookshelves April 4!

Summary:

Gabe and Pippa finally find a dream home overlooking a beautiful cliff in a coastal town. Unfortunately this cliff has become a place where people choose to jump and escape everything to end their life.

Gabe has developed an ability to actually talk people off the ledge. Until one evening when Gabe actually knows Amanda, the latest victim, and she follows through by jumping off the cliff. Or did she? Could Gabe have pushed her?

My Thoughts:

I have loved all of Sally Hepworth’s books. Hepworth has a way of taking you into the women’s deepest thoughts and feelings. The raw thoughts of characters like Pippa and Amanda are expressed in alternate chapters leading up to the day of Amanda’s suicide. Hepworth is able to show the good and bad of both marriages on display in this book. There are many twists, turns, and surprises in the book, and the format is done really well.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the Advanced Reader’s copy of The Soulmate. It will be released on April 4, 2023.

Not my favorite from this author, but man was it ever bingeable! I love this author, and was thrilled to meet her on her US book tour last year. Her writing is captivating and I literally can't tear myself away from reading, even if the overall book isn't jiving with me. The main problem I had with this book is that I didn't like any of the characters, and I think you were supposed to feel something for at least some of them. I wanted to shake some sense into Pippa (who must have Tammy Wynette's Stand By Your Man on internal repeat!). The book alternates between Pippa and Amanda, in both past and present times. There is a little bit of a ghostly element, which is not really my thing, although I can see how it added to the story. I'm also left feeling kind of icky about the mental health representation. It was done well, but not handled well by the characters. The conclusion was mostly satisfying, so I was left with a better feeling about the book in general.

An absolutely riveting read, but not entirely my cup of tea. Overall exploring themes of marriage, fidelity, workplace, shady business practices, suicide, and the idea of having a soulmate. I've decided after reading this that I don't want one!

As always, I am a fan! Her books are soooooo good. What a mess these characters were. Crazy!

4.5 stars. Go read or listen ASAP.

Rating: 5/5 stars.

“The Soulmate” is another killer mystery/thriller novel from Sally Hepworth. The novel’s basic premise is rather shocking. A rich family moves to an upscale home near a steep cliff that is historically related to tragic losses of life, and one character, aptly named Gabe, becomes the “saviour” that prevents people from making life-ending decisions on the cliff’s edge. The author takes this thought-provoking concept into areas that the reader would not expect.

In standard Hepworth fashion, she masterfully illustrates the characters, detailing their lives and the intricacies of their relationships, and weaves together a twisty plot told from two characters’ points of view. I do not want to give any spoilers, but there is a new “element” of sorts introduced in this novel that adds another layer to the story and involves one of the book’s earliest—and perhaps most shocking—twists. Though the subject matter is serious, she still manages to infuse her trademark humour throughout, allowing laughs to ease the tension. I absolutely loved this book, and once again find myself counting down the days until Hepworth releases a new novel for me to dive into, no pun intended.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book on NetGalley and have provided an honest review.*

I was a little disappointed in this one to be honest. I ended up dnf-ing it. It felt really one note to me personally. This may be a book for someone else just not me unfortunately.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

3,5 stars rounded up

I think the author executed the story well with short chapters, good writing and I really liked that Amanda was a POV. What I expected but didn't get was a much smarter plot twist in the end. The ending felt a bit rushed and there were something in the plot I couldn't put together. When did Gabe hook up with Asha's mother? Did they have a relationship? That whole story felt very overlooked and also Pippa's feelings.

Also, Pippa said they always had great sex even in the low days...did she mean even she discovered that he had been cheating and produced a child? The character arcs are inconsistent and I think it's very unbelievable that both her parents and sister with wife uproot their lives to follow Pippa so they can keep an eye on them?

The story consisted of too much of these plot holes for me to think it's a great book.

I want to read ALL the books by Sally Hepworth! The Soulmate is my first and I’m kicking myself for waiting so long to read her. I fell hard for The Soulmate. It has everything I look for in a great novel. The author writes with ease and purpose. Each word compelling, pushing the plot ahead. The Soulmate is a beautifully tragic look into marriage, family, relationships and what we’re willing to do in the name of love.

The multi POVs worked well in audio. Narration was on point. I got lost in the story and didn’t want it to end - loved every minute. I can’t stop thinking about how incredibly well the author weaved in so many different layers. Bravo!

Sally Hepworth knows how to write a good thriller. From page 1 you are invested in the story and need to know what happens next. This book has dueling POVs and takes place in 2 timeframes (before & after) yet the story doesn’t get confusing or feel bogged down with too many details. And even though you sense where this is going and who the real villain is the ending does not disappoint.

If you have the time this could easily be a 1 day read. The chapters were pretty short (there were a couple lengthy ones in there) and the plot moves along at a good pace. It was hard to put down even when it was way past bedtime.

A solid 5 stars.

For the first 1/3 of this book, I was hooked but at about the halfway point, the story started to meander. Eventually, it felt like I was only reading about a dysfunctional marriage and there was absolutely no thrill in that. Mix in the mental illness trope and the repetitiveness of the plot, I wasn’t impressed with The Soulmate.

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

I so enjoyed this! This book had me turning the pages as fast as I could in this twisty, keep you guessing read!!!
I so enjoy this author, and this book is not to be missed

This was such a captivating story. Told from multiple perspectives, in multiple timelines, this story is seamless. Pip and Gabe appear to have the perfect relationship, but as the story unfolds
you see the cracks. Gabe has saved many people who come to end their lives, but when his former bosses wife appears, he can not save her. As the story unfolds, the relationship between Pippa & Gabe, Max and Amanda gets more and more complex. I enjoyed every minute of this book!

This book had me on edge for a good part of it! I couldn’t stop reading it and it had some really good cliff hangers that made you keep reading!

I’ve read a couple other books by Sally Hepworth and was excited to get my hands on this.

It didn’t disappoint. The characters were a mix of likable and unlivable and I thought the use of a point of view from a dead woman hovering in this kind of in between stage was interesting. Some good twists that kept you guessing and pulled in to the story.

I’d recommend this to others.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Sally Hepworth does it again! The Soulmate is a twisty, surprising, and fast paced thriller centered around a cliffside where many go to end their life. Yea, it's dark! Gabe and Pippa left their life in the city to escape their pasts and embrace slow living in a cottage on a cliff (yes the same cliff). Gabe becomes the hero as over and over again he approaches the people on the cliff ready to jump and gets them to come back to mainland. But one night a person jumps, an unfortunate outcome, but not anything that Gabe could have helped. Or was he involved? Questions start surfacing as more information come to light and Pippa begins to question if she ever really knew the man she married.

I really enjoyed this one! It moved quickly and as each layer peeled back I got more and more into it. There were elements of the book that I expected but Sally still managed to layer in a few surprises which I love. No notes really and no disappointments. A really fun thriller to suck you in and read in a day!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC - The Soulmate is out 4/4/23!

Sally Hepworth does it again! I just finished listening to The Soulmate thanks to MacMillan Audio! This was a very quick read! With alternating chapters between Pippa and Amanda and dual timelines of Now and Then,

Hepworth Is known for her intricate plot-lines and her fondness for red herrings! This is at its core a book about two women who have woven their lives so deeply around their significant others. There are lots of lessons to be gleamed from this book and I highly recommend reading it. The pacing is perfect for holding the reader's attention. I listened to most of the book, but when it got late, I switched to the Ebook courtesy of St. Martin's Press so I could keep listening.

If you are a fan of Sally Hepworth, this is a must read!

Pippa and Gabe move to their dream home with their two young daughters set atop a cliff known by locals as The Drop. Every now and then the family will spot a person precariously close to the edge. Gabe has become a bit famous for saving all 7 of these potential jumpers, talking with them until they change their mind about making that final leap, until Amanda.

Sally Hepworth can write the hell out of domestic suspense. I switched between ebook and audio for The Soulmate and loved the narrators, Barrie Kreinik and Jessica Douglas-Henry. We get 2 POV's, Pippa in the past and present, and Amanda before her death and after. The secrets, lies, and betrayals are all revealed throughout the novel which will keep you turning pages rushing to the end. I would suggest checking the trigger warnings for this book, there are quite a few, but all are handled tastefully. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my complimentary copies.

Another nail biting, what-is-going-on winner from Sally Hepworth! I couldn’t stop listening to this one. I found myself actually driving the speed limit to make my car trip last a little longer. It took me a minute to get a grasp of the characters because there were two, both of which give us a “then” and “now”, but once I got into each piece I had no trouble keeping up. Both women were well defined in their characteristics.

I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.