THE SOULMATE by Sally Hepworth was my most anticipated thriller release of this year and I loved it! This is now the third book I’ve read by her and I’ve loved them all. This novel is about a woman, Pippa, who lives on a cliff with her husband and children. After a tragic incident on the cliff Pippa must reevaluate her marriage. I loved the dual perspectives and dual timelines. I loved the dual narrators Barrie Kreinik and Jessica Douglas-Henry on the audiobook. I got sucked into this story and finished this book in 24 hours. It was such a great journey as secrets are revealed and love is pushed to the edge. I definitely want to read her backlist now!

Imagine everyone knowing about the "perfect spot" to end it all. This location is in a small town on an obscure cliff. Gabe has a sixth sense when someone has made this decision and has saved more than one life. However, this time he failed in his objective. More than that, Gabe knew the person who died. Gabe's soulmate Pippa starts to be more than curious about any role he might have had in the victim's death. Thus, the next thrilling ride by Sally Hepworth begins.

Who are Gabe and Pippa. They are married and have two daughters and have just moved into a cottage in a small coastal town. Gabe gains notoriety very quickly as he has been successful when helping people on that cliff. This time, however, Pippa is standing at the window and sees what happens, and it rather makes Gabe look more than a bit guilty. Doubt sets in with regard to Pippa and she questions Gabe over and over again as to what actually happened, especially when she learns that he once knew the victim.

I loved the narration of this book, especially with two narrators. The setting was already tense, and the wonderful narration made it all that much better. If you like great domestic thrillers with more than a few twists, then be sure to pick up The Soulmate. You won't be disappointed

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

This story felt like it had so much potential, and so much space to even talk about the harsh realities of mental illness, but it felt very underwhelming.

There was good build up with the different vantage points of all the characters. It was a dead hitter from the start that there was something suspicious about the incident and my suspicions were proved correct. Glad it was a quick read though.

Definitely a good one if you want to just breeze through and not think too much about it.

First off, I loved the setting of The Soulmate. Coastal island vibes always get me, especially in thrillers. The book pulled me in immediately and I couldn't put it down. It dragged some in the middle and I wasn't sure what was going on with the husband and boss and job. It picks back up in the end and the twists keep coming. I really enjoyed reading this one and the audiobook was fantastic! Would recommend!

Sally Hepworth does an amazing job at creating twisted edge-of-your-seat drama. You will find yourself flipping through the pages to discover what clue will be presented. The thread of mental illness and how it affects those who are part of their lives was handled well. The secrets and betrayals buried throughout the pages keep you invested in the story. Told from a dual timeline and from dual perspectives was interesting and easy to follow.

I enjoy Sally Hepworth’s writing style and her well done story lines. I’m looking forward to her next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

In a Nutshell: No soul, no mate. Better if read as a family drama than as a domestic thriller. Even better if you skip it. Hello once again from Outlier Island!

Story Synopsis:
Gabe and Pippa live in a cottage by a cliff along with their two little daughters. This cliff-side is unfortunately a suicide hotspot, and Gabe has become something of a local hero by rescuing people from jumping off to their deaths. But he doesn’t succeed in saving the latest person, a woman.
When Pippa learns that Gabe has not told her the entire truth and that he actually knew the victim, she begins to ask questions and discovers many new secrets. But Gabe is her soulmate, and it is her duty to keep him safe, isn’t it?
The story comes to us in the first person perspective of Pippa in two timelines – Then and Now, and also in the first person perspective of Amanda (the victim) in two timelines – Before and After.


Bookish Yays:
😌 The proceedings were quick. I didn’t even realise how the story went by. (That’s also because there was hardly any ‘story’, but let me not get into that in my ‘Yays’ section.)
😌 Amanda’s perspective is slightly better than Pippa’s in terms of impact. I like her and Max (her husband) better than Pippa and Gabe. (Which is quite a poor comparison, because I couldn’t stand Pippa or Gabe. Whoops…this is still the ‘Yays’ section!)
😌 The two little girls Freya and Asha are the only ray of sunshine in the murky mess of a book.
😌 The epilogue. The only sensible element in the whole book.

Bookish Nays:
😤 Pippa seemed to be living her life like a horse wearing blinders, with her eyes only on hot-hubby Gabe. Whatever he did is pardonable just because he is a gorgeous hunk with a mental health issue. Her family seems to have a distrust towards Gabe, but they too go with the flow and don’t say anything to Pippa.
😤 Amanda’s ghost seems to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Her ghostly voice serves as a convenient way of filling in the blanks that still-alive Pippa cannot tell us in her narration.
😤 No suspense, no mystery, no thrills, no logic! Only secrets and more secrets, that get sillier as the plot goes ahead. The whole novel would be over within a few chapters if everyone revealed the truth at the right time.
😤 The number of secrets in the book was closely matched by the number of coincidences. Imagine bumping into someone at just the right time, or finding an object that should have been near impossible to find the very day you decide to look for it! If only some of that luck rubbed off on me in my real life…Sigh!
😤 So many silly things in the plot! Who in their right mind would buy a house next to a cliff that is a suicide hotspot, especially if they have two four-year-old children? When the body of the wife of one of the richest men in town, a woman whose photo is clicked regularly by the paparazzi, is found, how come not a single police person recognises her immediately? What lawyer would keep things from the police and hope that they don’t find out about it, forgetting that the “secret” is not even a secret but the next logical step in the police investigation and it WILL come out!? I don’t want to go into spoilers, but many of the later revelations had me shaking my head in disbelief and/or rolling my eyes in frustration.
😤 The portrayal of mental health issues in this book is ridiculous, and borderline offensive to sufferers.
😤 The dialogues are also sometimes idiotic. Like if I am talking to someone of my generation (say my husband or my friend), why would I say something like “We didn’t have the internet then.’ or ‘That was before social media.’ Don’t they know it, duhhhh!


The Audiobook Experience:
The audiobook, clocking at 7 hrs 45 min, is narrated by Barrie Kreinik and Jessica Douglas-Henry. I am not sure which of them voiced which character, but both did an okay job. The one narrating Pippa was slightly better, but both narrators failed to narrate emotions convincingly. Their male voices were also not up to par. They were good at voicing the two women in neutral or mildly dramatic scenes, but when the emotions became intense, they didn’t convey the same feelings as the words. I find it very odd when narrators read out parts where a character “yelled” or “cried” in a perfectly regular voice.

Basically, the plot just reminded me of the famous line from Walter Scott’s poem: "Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!” The whole book can be summed up in this quote, because that is what every single character does till we reach The End.
This was my first Sally Hepworth novel; so far, I have read only one short story by her (Uncharted Waters, and this too generated mixed feelings.) As of now, I don’t feel like picking up more of her works. Let’s see what the future holds.
I suppose this can be recommended to fans of the domestic suspense genre or of the author, because most of my thriller-loving friends have enjoyed it. The rest of you can join me here on Outlier Island, especially if you love logic as much as I do.

2 stars.

My thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “The Soulmate”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook. Sorry this didn’t work out better.

Sally Hepworth does it again! I absolutely love her books. She never misses the mark for me. Like most of her books, this one sits in that lovely gray space between women’s fiction and thrillers. What’s so exceptional about Hepworth’s writing, is that she is able to retain the comedy, the thrill, but add an added element of raw emotion and truth to her books and her characters.

Here, you have multiple viewpoints and timelines. And I love the way you only get a tiny piece of the story at a time. Chapters are short and gripping. And it keeps you turning pages until the very end. I think I finished this one in only two days. And that was because I had a lot of house guests. This novel contemplate the ideas that we all face within relationships and marriages. It addresses the question of what a soulmate really is. And it deals with love and loss. There are always two sides to every story. Our soulmates always mutual? And what if you never really find out the truth about your soulmate until after their death? What does that mean about your own version of history?

This book was a quick read, and I really enjoyed it. Hepworth is an auto buy author for me. Five stars again. Thanks Sally, keep writing!

Gabe and Pippa seem like the perfect couple, with their two adorable children and their lovely clifftop home. But will their marriage survive after a stranger jumps to her death at the edge of their backyard one night? After this terrible night, Gabe is withdrawn and sullen, he tried to stop the woman from jumping and has stopped people before, he can't get over not being able to save her. Pippa isn't sure what she saw through the window of her home as Gabe tried to talk the woman off of the ledge and she soon finds out some things that cause even more suspect in her marriage. We get multiple POVs which I really felt grabbed my interest. Having the dead woman speaking in the novel was such a fantastic addition. I really enjoyed that POV! I would say it was more of a domestic drama than a thriller or mystery but having said that, it was one that I really enjoyed and couldnt stop reading. I wanted to know what was going to happen to these women and what had happened to them. I was invested in whether they had made good choices and whether those choices had led them to where they are now or if some things were just coincidences. I was lucky enough to get the audiobook which had excellent narration and really pulled me in. I would definitely recommend this read and really enjoyed the characters.

Another good book from Sally Hepworth. This one explores relationships, fidelity, marriage, dysfunction, mental illness, all with twists and turns - centered around the question - Is it suicide or murder? The setting is basically a beautiful but dangerous Australian cliff, with a beautiful dream house on one side and the extraordinary Australian ocean on the other. The characters are well written - a family with complex layers and friends with there own complexity. Well written with two points of view- I loved that Hepworth included the point of view of the main character as well as, toward the end of the story, the dead women. Enjoyable read if you love drama saturated with mystery!
I loved the audio book of this title! It is perfect to hear the story with the Australian accent. The narrator's voices are exemplary and it is read to perfection. Definitely improves the enjoyment of the novel!

‘The Soulmate’ by Sally Hepworth is a thought-provoking novel that delves into the complexities of love, family dysfunctions, mental health, and the power of human connections.

With rich character development, Hepworth presents a diverse cast of individuals whose lives intersect, illustrating how relationships can be both extraordinary and unpredictable.

What sets ‘The Soulmate’ apart is Hepworth's ability to explore deep emotional nuances. Through her vivid prose, she invites readers to ponder profound questions surrounding love and the role of choices in our lives.

The story unfolds at a steady pace, and Hepworth's writing style is engaging and accessible. She effortlessly alternates between different characters' perspectives, providing a multi-dimensional view of their experiences.

‘The Soulmate’ is a compelling exploration of the intricate webs that connect us all. Whether you believe in soulmates or not, this novel will make you reflect on the power of love and the choices we make along the way.

Narrator Barrie Kreinik's voice infuses the audiobook with depth, emotion, and an enchanting storytelling style. Jessica Douglas-Henry's narration is versatile bringing characters to life and immersing listeners in the story.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook of ‘The Soulmate’. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

The Soulmate follows Pippa and Amanda, Two women who believe in their husbands, their Soulmates, and have only ever asked for one thing each. For Pippa it was loyalty, for Amanda it was fidelity in this dramatic thriller the definitions of these terms are blurred and twisted as the past and the present collide after a woman dies in an expected suicide at the cliffs. Her death brings past events into the present and the present back to the past as we follow both women as they piece together hidden truths that intertwine their relationships and families.

My Thoughts on The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth

Before I get into my thoughts on the book itself I want to give a nod to the narrators of the story. The audiobook has dual narration and I’m always a fan of more than one narrator or a full-cast audiobook over a single narrator. The two distinct voices help to separate the thoughts and experiences of each woman throughout the story.

I wasn’t quite sure what to think of the book when it started off with the suicide rather than a death later in the book when we felt some connection to the characters. I definitely question where the story was going to take us. The story definitely was more about the slow build of tension and drama that explodes into twists and turns that will have you questioning the motives of all players.

I definitely did not see the end of the story coming, but looking back I can see the small hints here and there, but I do not think I would have ever come to the endings conclusion on my own. I felt like the ending with all the reveals could have been a bit more drawn out where it felt like a lot of info was dumped and then a quick shock and then the ending. Truthfully I almost felt the ending was too happy for a thriller. This could be Hepworth’s writing style which is new to me so I’m just not used to that kinda of ending in a thriller novel. If you have read Hepworth's work before I would enjoy hearing your thoughts on her writing style.

Overall, I say give The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth a chance if you are a fan of soap operas, family dramas, and light thrillers. I think this is the perfect thriller for the spring and summer months.

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth

Gabe and Pippa’s house is located near “the drop,” a cliff on the Australian coast where people have come to jump to their death. Gabe has successfully talked seven people out of jumping. When the couple sees someone out at the drop, Gabe goes to talk to her. Suddenly, Pippa sees the woman is gone and notices her husband’s hands outstretched. Did he push her? When it turns out Gabe and Pippa have a connection to the woman, a sequence of events unfold, leading to another death.

The author reveals information about the characters that entangles them more and more. The pace is wonderfully delivered throughout this engrossing mystery. The story kept me captivated and guessing until the end.

Likes
🌊Dual point of view
🌊Dual timelines
🌊Small town beach community
🌊Family secrets

Fans of mysteries and thrillers will likely enjoy this one. This is the first book I have read from the author but it won’t be my last. Thank you to @netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to MacMillian Audio and NetGalley for the Audio ARC of this novel.

I listened to this over several weeks while on the way to and from work and I found it to be engaging and well-read. I liked the quick pace of the chapters and it was easy to jump back in after taking a few days break. I definitely enjoyed the Pippa storyline a bit better and felt more empathy toward her. I'm not sure why.

I thought that the narrator of Pippa's storyline was great at doing voices for others, especially the little girls. One thing that did bug me was when the narrator for Amanda's POV would do Max's voice. It was not a pleasant sound and it kind of hurt my ears every time she did it, which was very frequent in her "after" portions.

Overall it was enjoyable and was a pleasant listen. Easy to follow, with good voice acting. 4 stars.

Pippa and Gabe have recently moved to their dream home. It is the perfect place for them to start a new beginning and raise their two young daughters. There is only one problem, right in their backyard is a dangerous cliff that has been given the nickname The Drop. It has become a famous spot for jumpers. Gabe has quickly made a name for himself in the small, coastal town by talking jumpers off the edge. To date he has saved 7 people. But everything changes when Gabe isn't able to save a woman from jumping, and worse yet Pippa turned away for a second to see her gone and Gabe's hands in the air, but he couldn't have, wouldn't have, pushed her, right? As the stories continues and we find out that Gabe knew the woman, Amanda. And while the police have deemed her death a suicide, Amanda's husband Max does not agree.
Told from Amanda's and Pippa's points of view, can you still be soul mates when there are so many lies lurking in the dark.
Sally Hepworth definitely has a way of getting you to know her characters inside and out and their is certainly no lack of detail in this. Unfortunately I found this to be quite long and I was bored a lot. I would not really consider this suspenseful. There were a few twists but nothing that made me stop and say Wow! I often got confused with all the bouncing back and forth with Pippa's Then and Now and Amanda's Before and After.
This wasn't my favorite but still not bad. I say check this one out for yourself to decide.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sally Hepworth for allowing me to listen to an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I discovered Australian author Sally Hepworth byway of her 2021 novel The Good Sister, which I absolutely loved! Hepworth immediately became a must-read author for me, but I have to admit that her subsequent follow-ups - The Younger Wife & The Soulmate - just did not resonate with me like The Good Sister did. Nonetheless, Hepworth is a solid suspense writer capable of delivering compelling novels with jaw-dropping twists.

In her latest release, The Soulmate, a young couple and their two daughters live in a rambling beach home near a cliff where suicidal people are known to jump to their death. Gabe, the husband, is deft at literally talking people off the ledge, and has saved many lives until recently. A woman came to the cliff who Gabe was unable to save. Pippa, Gabe’s utterly devoted wife and soulmate, feels that she is not getting the whole truth from her husband about this woman’s suicide, but she wants to trust him so badly that she looks the other way, despite some rather erratic behavior from him in the past. As more secrets come to light, Pippa has to make the ultimate decision whether to stand by her man or uncover what he is hiding.

While many people will love the style in which The Soulmate is written, it made it difficult for me to connect and keep up with the characters while listening to it on audio. This book has very short chapters that end in cliffhangers that cover two characters’ POVs and traverse between past and present - that’s a lot to contend with! I felt like I could never settle down with any one character and get to know and understand them before the POV changed. Thus, listening to this book on audio, I felt disconnected from and not engaged with the characters and their stories for most of this novel. Perhaps a change in the approach of this book would have enhanced my enjoyment of it.

3.5 stars!

This was such a bingeable domestic thriller featuring two POVs and dual timelines. It had themes of marriage, love, loss, and of course murder, and I really enjoyed it. I listened to the audio and thought the narration was great.

*many thanks to SMP and Macmillan audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy

The dual POV with one of the POVs being of a dead woman was a unique twist that engaged me from the beginning. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and characters and can't wait to read more from Sally Hepworth.

I was so excited to read this book. Plus the cover is beautiful! As I began reading I was hooked. I thought the pacing was handled well and the plot and characters had depth and intrigue. The back half of the book slowed down a little and the end was kind of obvious, but still a solid read.

Wow, I loved this. The final twist, the setup, this had it all for me. Happily I didn't read the description beforehand so I had no idea where this would go and it surprised me!

𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞🖤

Well friends, 6 days left till my board exam 🩺 (“its the FINAL COUNTDOWN beeeddooo beeedoooo beee do doo doooo”) and then I’ll have 2 WHOLE months off to do nothing but read and travel before I get placed in a hospital🤩

To say I’m excited for the break is an understatement haha though please bear with me through another week of silence, next week I will be back to reading and recommending🤓

Popping on briefly to share this book that comes out today! I actually really enjoyed it!

For fans of: slow burn domestic suspense, multiple POVs, & well written endings🌊

3.5 stars⭐️⭐️⭐️

Quick synopsis:

“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.”

Have you read this one? Did you enjoy it? It is a bit of a slower, lounging type read so I would go into with that mindset:)