Sally Hepworth’s writing never fails to impress me and she always has a fresh take on psychological suspense. I loved the English cliffside setting of this where the main character intervenes with jumpers wanting to end their lives until his intervention was unsuccessful. The beginning of this seems pleasant enough but each chapter reveals another layer of deception and intrigue until you realize that nothing is at all what it first seemed. Hepworth’s character development and the ways readers are privy to the minds of these characters is brilliant. The audio version successfully held my attention and conveyed the urgency of the plot. Ideal for fans of Wendy Walker and Lisa Unger.

This was my second book by Sally Hepworth and I just loved it. I got this book as an audio ARC from NetGalley and I am so happy that I did. This book has been one of my most anticipated reads of 2023 so I was super excited to listen this early copy. I just loved it! What an engaging, original concept.
This story is about a couple, Gabe and Pippa, who live in a house on the coast, that happens to be right by a huge cliff. This cliff is famous for people jumping off it to commit suicide. But at the same time, Gabe, is known for going out to the cliff when he sees people about to jump. He literally talks them off the ledge. But this one day, when a woman was standing on the edge, he talked to her for hours out there, but she still ended up jumping anyway. Or did she? And who was this woman? Did Gabe know her? There are many secrets involved in this story, which in turn gives many surprises and twists along the way.
This book was great! I loved it. I listened to the audio version of this and loved it. The two narrators were great. I loved the writing, The originality of the plot, and the suspense kept me wanting more the whole time I was listening it. I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend it to anyone. This was a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars for me!
I want to thank NetGalley and McMillan Audio for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Pub Date: April 4, 2023

I just don’t think this book was for me. I couldn’t connect with the characters in the story. Although I did enjoy the dual timelines. I felt like there wasn’t much happening in the book other than infidelity, which your reminded about almost every chapter. The pacing was a bit off to me and it felt like some parts were rushed while other parts seemed to drag on. Most of the plot’s twists were easy to guess & if not they weren’t too shocking.

I do think you might like this book if you’re just getting into domestic thrillers or if you like slower paced books.

Im hoping to try another book by Sally again and have a different experience.

Thank you to NetGalley & the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Okay look, I’m trying not to post brutally honest reviews anymore because “that’s not nice coming from a fellow author.” But considering I’ve gotten reviews saying my book wasn’t for them, I think it’s fair to admit this book wasn’t my favorite.

However, it was a very quick read. While the beginning hooked me, the middle and ending were slow, it was finished within 3 hours or so.

What didn’t work for me was the lack of SOMETHING. I don’t know what it was. Storyline? Intrigue? Character development? Not sure what fell flat, but it had zero “OoOooOh” moments for me. Even labeled as a suspenseful “thriller,” I felt nothing for the reveals. Not a thing.

This author is so hit or miss for me. I LOVED The Good Sister. One of my top books in 2021. So if you’re on the fence with this, please still give it a shot. This could have been my mood. I’ve had quite a few duds in row.

I have yet to meet a Sally Hepworth thriller I didn't love! Hepworth is a wonderful writer who never fails to create compelling characters with depth, twisty plots, and great endings. This book is no exception! It's unique narrative style (which I won't spoil!) helps you understand things from the victim's perspective while still saving the final twists for the very end. The only downside to Hepworth's books: I hate finishing them and waiting for the next one!

A thrilling, complex story filled with grief and secrets - Sally Hepworth does not disappoint with "The Soulmate"! I was shocked at the ending!

Ooooof. This one was not for me.

The character development is god awful. Pippa is meek and so blindly devoted to her violently erratic mentally ill husband simply because he’s gorgeous. Amanda isn’t any better. Their lack of self esteem and codependency is insanely off putting. I don’t care if characters are likable but when they’re stupid, it’s a different story. If you’re similarly obsessed with your spouse to the point where you have no identity, then I guess it goes down smoother.

The only one with any sense is Pippa’s sister, Kat when she called out how idiotic and blinded Pippa is.

Aside from pitiful characters, the plot is thin. The mystery isn’t enticing. The way neurodivergence and mental illness is handled is beyond poor. Put your critical thinking aside and maybe you’ll enjoy this, but if you like to use your brain, skip The Soulmate and thank me later.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

🎧Song Pairing: Angels Fall - Breaking Benjamin

💭What I thought would happen:

I thought maybe some Wuthering Heights drama with a title like that and the cliff side.,.nah

📖What actually happens:

A woman “falls” from a cliff that is apparently right by where a couple lives with 2 young daughters erm…questionable real estate purchase there…

Couple both knows the faller, wife questions if she actually jumped or if she was pushed and whether it was her fault.

Husband insists he didn’t know who she was til he was closer but he sus AF and doesn’t get any sympathy votes.

🗯Thoughts:

Weeeell at least it was quick? I liked the female characters. The men kind of sucked a bag of dicks in this one and not even like in a drama-fuelled way but more so in a way being like girrrrl you chose that guy?

Read if you like:
😕 Some soft drama
⚠️Lukewarm thrillers
💛Mediocre men committing infidelity
🐝Unclear POVs

Thank you @stmartinepress @macmillan.audio for a copy of this book. I listened to this in 1 sitting. I love the atmosphere of the house on the cliff and how the relationship between Amanda and Gabe & Pippa was revealed. The story is told in past and present in the POV of Pippa and Amanda in an after perspective which I liked. You really don't know who to trust in the story and what really happened until the end.

I always enjoy listening to Sally Hepworth's books because I know they are going to keep me engaged and that they are fast paced.

I felt a little different about The Soulmate however. It was still a quick listen and the narration was done well, it just lacked something that I couldn't really put my finger on.

I didn't really care for the main characters and it had a supernatural aspect that was unlike her previous work.

The plot does center around mental illness and suicide, so if those are in any way triggering for you, I would skip this one.

Wow! What an addicting story that was!

Can you imagine dying, and having to watch the ones in your life determine cause of death while and you have a front row seat to all of it?
Me either!
But, Amanda can. Amanda is with Max, and Max is Gabe's boss, and Gabe is married to Pippa. Amanda goes over the cliff behind Gabe and Pippa's property right in front of Gabe. Obviously she jumped; the cliff was notorious for suicide jumpers. The thing is though, Max doesn't believe Amanda would ever commit suicide. So what really happened?

I can not get over the audio of this book. I was INSTANTLY hooked when that lovely Australian accent came through my headphones. There is nothing better than really good narration, and this book had that.

Hepworth writes with such emotion, and such passion, you can hardly slow down, while wanting to savor every last chapter. It is dual POV (Amanda & Pippa) and time jumps, from current day to before. I couldn't recommend this book more. It has it all, fast paced, whodunnit, relevant marriage struggles, and realistic representation on mental illness.

10/10 stars!

TW: suicide, infidelity, mental illness & murder

I did receive this as an advanced audiobook through Net Galley. All thoughts, opinions and reviews are mine and mine alone.

This book is beautifully written!!
Suspense, thrill, the whole nine!
Once I started this audiobook I couldn’t stop!
The narrators are ABSOLUTELY amazing bringing the story to life!!!
There is a little bit of everything in this book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow! What a great book! Anyone who enjoys Sally Hepworth books will enjoy this newest addition.

We open with a young family seeing a young woman on the edge of a cliff. The charming husband, Gabe goes out to talk that woman off the ledge while our main character Poppy moves her children from the window and calls the police. Before she knows it she looks up and the woman is gone and her husband seems to be in a compromising position. Nothing is as it seems and it is fantastic. There are so many layers to this story and the more we read the more we learn we have no idea what is going on between the characters in this book. This book kept me guessing so I did not want to put it down.

Overall, I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a quick thriller with twists and turns. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this story,

The pacing of this book is pretty good and the characters are fairly well-written, especially in how you view them through Pippa's perspective and how that begins to warp over the course of the story. I liked the mystery, but I feel like the wrap up was a little anticlimactic, and there were topics like mental health that were handled in a way I didn't really enjoy. That being said, I did enjoy the story and have heard good things about Sally Hepworth's other books, so I definitely look forward to diving into more of her thrillers!

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

🌊Did she jump? Was she pushed? 🌊
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pippa and Gabe's whirlwind romance turned into an idyllic family of four. Their story has so many layers -some predictable and some surprising. The present day store has them living in a coastal town and their home is situated on a cliff - a destination sought out by some wanting to end their lives.

The last woman to visit the cliff was someone they KNEW. Attempts to save her were unsuccessful and doubts creep in...did she jump? was she pushed?

The story is told by two characters each serving bites for the reader to digest. Just when I thought I had things figured out, I would flip to a new chapter and quickly learning my theory was wrong.

The writing and the narration were perfect. Both narrators began relatively calm and serene and, as the story progressed, the listener could feel the frenzy and suspense.

Sally Hepworth has a knack for painting characters that could be your friend and neighbor only to find out that character has a darker side... and vice versa.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys suspense with twists and turns and those who have had the pleasure of reading other books by Hepworth such as The Good Sister.

Triggers: Mental Health, Suicide

I'm a huge Sally Hepworth fan and was so excited to receive an early copy to read! Holy plot twists! This book has a few of them and they were amazing! I could not put it down. The story is told in dual POV’s alternating between Pippa and Amanda. This book left me speechless which doesn’t happen too often. It was refreshing to read a thriller that was actually thrilling. Pippa and Gabe live with their two daughters in a house on a cliff known as “The Spot”. The Spot was a place where people went to end their lives. Gabe managed to talk a number of people down however, on this particular night he doesn’t. As the situation unfolds Pippa sees everything from the window and notices the outward position of Gabe’s arms. The death was rule a suicide, but Pippa isn’t so sure.
Pippa finds out Gabe knew the victim. As she digs for the truth more secrets come to light. What really happened that night? Can she trust her husband?

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital arc

This was surprisingly good -- it wasn't predictable, it didn't feel formulaic, and it touched on some interesting ground.


Review copy provided by publisher.

So many secrets surround this story and all come to light at the end. It's a great story that I didn't figure out the ending!

I think this book is going to be polarizing; one of those you either love it or hate it books. There are topics in this book of suicide and mental illness, which I did not like how they were covered or used in this book.

The things I did like about this book were:
• the cover - it’s absolutely gorgeous!
• the domestic psychological thriller aspects of this book
• the pacing - it’s fast paced!
• the narration of the audiobook

I would not recommend if you have triggers of suicide or mental illness, specifically bipolar disorder. However, if these things don’t bother you, then it may be worthwhile for you to check out, especially if you enjoy domestic psychological thrillers.

Thank you @macmillan.audio@stmartinspress and @netgalley for allowing me to read and listen to the book and audiobook ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance audiobook copy. I have read every Sally Hepworth book. I was looking forward to this. It did not disappoint.