I liked this book OK, and felt like it was a fast read. It centers on Holly and Mark, who have a chance meeting in a train station where they both feel that they might have met their soulmate. However, it turns out that both of them have secrets and everything may not be as it seems.

I thought that these characters did things that real people would not do, throughout the book; while it moved at a fast-pace there was just something not super believable about the actions they took. It got increasingly less believable as the story continued. I thought the ending wrapped things up in a nice way that fit with the rest of the story.

Overall, decent read but not sure it will stand out too much as I move onto my next read. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Soulmate by Rona Halsall was another excellent book and every book I have read by this author has been an excellent read from start to finish. Rona has a way of writing all her books with great characters, great storylines that will be full of twists and turns that will have you turning the pages to find out what happens next. The Soulmate was no different I was gripped from the very first few pages and i loved it.

Question!

Do you believe in love at first sight?

Maybe!

Well, Holly does, and in spite of everything that’s happened in her life. Sometimes the thought that her soulmate is out there somewhere and it's the only thing that keeps her going.

A girl has to dream!

Then, she hears her favourite song being played on a piano. She’s drawn to where the sound is coming from, as if by a magnetic force. There is a handsome young man sitting at a public piano, who smiles at her, and she feels that spark she’s always dreamt of having. She asks if she can join him, and sings along, seeing his face light up to her's.

He is called Mark, and there is a spark between them as she finds out later. But even though it seems like they’ve known each other for lifetime, the truth is that they’re strangers.

Because Holly has secrets. And so does Mark.

And one of them might just kill to keep them. . . . . . .

This book was fast paced and a great page turner I loved it. Especially as it was a great quick read.

The Soulmate by Rona Halsall is a psychological thriller with an "in love at first sight" twist. Holly has not been able to catch a break since she was 16. Trying to outrun her past she meets Finn. Sadly, Holly's bad luck continues as Finn is abusive. One day while waiting for the train Holly hears a piano playing her favorite song. The pianist's name is Mark and Holly feels an immediate connection to this mysterious man. Mark can feel the chemistry as well so when Holly leaves him her social media handle, Mark knows he wants to keep in touch. When he messages her to check to see if she is okay he gets a worrying response. He drops everything to travel from Wales to Scotland to find this woman that he feels is his soulmate. But both Holly and Mark are hiding secrets, secrets that have you wondering if it is true love at first sight or if it is just obsession.
This book is filled with the psychological thriller element and a splash of romance. The characters are intense and the story was very well-paced with the suspense building perfectly. Thank you to NetGalley, Rona Halsall, and Boldwood Books for this ARC. Expected release day is January 30th 2025.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the arc.
What a gripping intense read.
Holly meets Mark when he's playing the piano in a mall and feels a connection but she has to go back to Dumfries where she lives with her abusive boyfriend.
Mark follows her wanting to bring her back only the next morning, Holly's boyfriend's body is found in the river.
This book is full of twists and turns with a fantastic plot twist I didn't see coming at all.
The characters are thought out well with fantastic back stories and depth.
The writing style flows naturally and in such a way that you're glued to the page to find out what happens next.
Definitely one for thriller lovers.
Kerry Kennedy Author

Couldn’t finish this book. What was this supposed to be? why was this an option. Who decided on the plot? please just no.

Absolutely loved the storyline, it felt a little bit different for Rona Halsall. I couldn't quite place it, but it was intriguing all the same.
I was not as hooked as usual, but that could be down to the time of year and falling asleep earlier, rather than not being able to finish the book quicker than usual.
I absolutely lived for the *half way through* plot twist which was absolutely shocking, without giving any spoilers, I just didn't see that coming, and it really took the storyline in a different direction. Incredible writing as usual Rona and I'm sure this is going to be a hit!
I will definitely recommend this book!

Wow what a roller coaster of a read. There is everything in this book that you would expect from this author and then some,full of drama that keeps you gripped from the beginning right to the last page. The characters were all flawed with many emotional and psychological problems and I just couldn't put it down. A brilliant 5🌟read

Do you believe in love at first sight? Holly does, in spite of everything that’s happened in her life. Sometimes the thought that her soulmate is out there is the only thing that keeps her going. Then she hears her favourite song being played in a train station. She’s drawn to where the sound is coming from, as if by a magnetic force. There is a handsome young man sitting at the piano, who smiles at her, and she feels that spark she’s always dreamt of. She asks if she can join him, and sings along, seeing his face light up.

He’s called Mark, she later discovers. And he feels the same. They both feel like they’ve been hit with a thunderbolt. But even though it seems like they’ve known each other for lifetime, the truth is that they’re strangers. Because Holly has secrets. And so does Mark.

Disturbing in the best way! I rarely read thrillers with a twist of romance, but Halsall pulled it off very well. This was intriguing from the beginning and kept my interest through all the twists and turns. Highly recommended! 4⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

When I Disappear by Amanda McKinney is a twisty psychological thriller with an unexpected ending! Seriously, that end took me by surprise!
This is one of those stories that makes you a little bit sad about the justice system and broken lives.
Action all the way through! There was constantly something happening!

The story is presented from the past and present so we learn a lot about Sylvia and her mother who was murdered 20 years ago. Rhett who spent 20 years in prison is out now and Sylvia starts to receive letters signalling her life could be in danger... Is that a coincidence?

Wild Ride starts from there and you just keep guessing where this story is heading until you get to the chapter that makes your jaw drop!

Absolutely recommend!

Thank you NetGalley for this copy!

Thank you NetGalley & Boldwood Books for the chance to read this book.

I feel like I really tried with this book, First it was all sappy and like some romantic love story, which was getting very annoying to read tbh... Thank god for the conflict of Finn coming in, made it more exciting and a faster read wondering what was going to happen next and how it was going to happen.
First of all none of the MCs were likeable !? I didn't find any of them very exciting to read about or even cared about what happened to them, Holly just came off as this naive/helpless, Whiny "I'm always the victim" type of character, which just ends up being annoying and repetitive. I thought only Men wrote females characters like this !? Idk maybe it just wasn't my style, everyone else seemed to enjoy it.. I will say this:

"Mark tried to appear unconcerned as he let the couple into the house. If the Lord had led the here, as the lady believed, then the Lord was responsible for whatever happened next.."

Made me actually laugh out loud for a bit! I def liked the sarcastic humor of Mark and some of the ways he thought about things that were happening, still didn't like him but he was tolerable atleast.

My thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Soulmate’ written by Rona Halsall in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

While Holly is waiting for her train to Dumfries she’s wandering around a shopping mall when she hears a man playing a piano. He says his name is Mark and invites her to sing with him and as she joins him they feel an instant connection. Mark sees a bruise on Holly’s wrist and is worried for her safety so follows her to Dumfries where he encounters her boyfriend Finn. Both Holly and Mark feel as if they’ve known each other for ever but neither of them realise that the other is keeping secrets.

‘The Soulmate’ is compulsive reading. It has a gripping plot and chilling twists and turns that have kept me involved from the first page to the last. I’ve been intrigued by the characters and the lies that were told and the further I got into the story the more the tension increased. I was so desperate to know what was going to happen that I ignored the housework and stayed glued to my Kindle for the entire day until I reached the end. The novel has been well-written with a epilogue that’s brilliant and a finale that’s a fitting conclusion to this rollercoaster of a thriller. I found it easy to read and impossible to put down and can wholeheartedly recommend it.

This was the first one for me by this author, and I guess it’s fairly safe to say that this won’t be my last book by her. This definitely is now an author on my radar to keep an eye on.
A dark domestic thriller, filled with horrible people – what more could you ask for?
YES, RIGHT! Crazies. Bring on the crazies! The obsession! And then, religion too! Yesss. Perfect.

I really enjoy Rona Halsall novels where you are almost guaranteed fast paced psychological thrillers that grip you from start to finish. “The Soulmate” is certainly one of those books and tells of love at first sight with a suspenseful twist.

Holly believes in soulmates which is a little surprising given her past but when she hears her favourite song being played on a public piano, she’s feels drawn to the pianist, a charming young man named Mark. They feel an instant connection and Holly believes her dreams have come true.
As you would expect when reading a psychological thriller things do not always turn out how you would like and it becomes obvious that both Holly and Mark have secrets, lies, and past traumas. The perfect start to their love story twists into something far more sinister when the secrets are told that may lead to murder.

I am a regular reader of Rona Halsall and love the way she sets out her novels, fast paced, intriguing plots and interesting characters although this one is not quite as fast paced as usual.. Quite often I am so engrossed by her novels that I end up reading in one sitting. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Boldwood Books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Well what a book , I absolutely loved it . I think this author just gets better with every book she writes. I loved the characters and the brilliant storyline which was nothing like I expected. I will definitely recommend this book and give it 5 stars . A must read

Holly hears one of her favourite songs being played on a public piano. She draws nearer to the player, enjoying the music, and hears him singing along. He finishes the song, and begins another, again, one of her favourites, and she sings along with him, both of them enjoying themselves, their voices in harmony, almost forgetting everyone around them. Holly discovers his name is Mark, they seem to have lots in common, and the connection between them is instant, could this be a love at first sight meeting.
Holly is in an abusive relationship, and Mark has a few secrets of his own too. Mark wants to meet up again, but Holly is worried her boyfriend, Finn, will find out. Mark is convinced he and Holly belong together, and is willing to go out of his way to make it happen. Unfortunately, both of them soon discover that their actions have consequences.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a tense, slow build up to an explosive ending, that I did not expect. The characters were not what I expected either, I believed first one, then the other, although neither of them were very likeable. It all added up to a 5 star read.

A good read, a bit slow to start but good once I got into it. A good read overall
Total rating 3 1/2 stars

This is such a good read it was paced really well had just the right amount of tension and atmosphere and really made me think when I was reading

The Soul Mate by Rona Halsall, it seems Holly cannot catch a break since the age of 16. She’s been running and thought she finally found a place to be with Finn, who turns out to be abusive. This is why when she meets Mark who happens to be singing her favorite Lenny Kravitz song on a public piano. All she can think is if only. Mark feels their connection as well but when Holly only gives him her Insta handle and fearfully runs off, so as not to miss the train he knows something isn’t right. he messages her on the app only wanting to know she’s OK but when he receives a message that gets him worried, he sets off from Wales to Scotland to save the woman he believes may be his soulmate. OK there is a lot that happens after he makes it to Scotland and I mean a lot, but I don’t want to get any spoilers away because I did not know anything after this point when I started the book and that made every chapter an OMG moment I don’t want to ruin it for anyone else. What I will say is I love Rona Halsall’s books. despite their eye rolling moments, she has some of the most original plots in the thriller genre. Whenever I see a book written by her, I cannot wait to see what she’s come up with next and this one is a real mind bender. although this one isn’t a mic drop ending it is still holy satisfying and a crazy crazy story. Instead of who did it you’re asking wait what happened? I cannot wait for her next book. I really really highly recommend this book to those who love great thrillers with an original plot and characters, you don’t know if you love or hate.#NetGalley, #BoldwoodBooks, #RonaHalsall, #TheSoulmate,

Do you believe in love at first sight? And soulmates? If so, this is an interesting and scary treatment on both. Rona Halsall is a master of ratcheting up the tension and building a fascinating story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC!

Holly finds herself in an impossible situation. She is a victim of domestic abuse. Her abusive partner traps her, and her freedom continues to dwindle. One night, she stumbles upon someone playing a piano and it is her favorite song. She joins the pianist while he is singing, and they instantly connect. But what about her home life? And what secrets does she harbor that could jeopardize everything?

The man playing the beautiful song is Mark. Could Mark be her soulmate? Meanwhile, Mark has his own agenda. Will they build a life together or face a premature end?

This intriguing story delves into obsession, and with some shocking twists, the story was interesting. However, something about it threw me off. At one point, a couple knocks on Mark’s door. In his mind, he thinks, “Oh, Jehovah’s Witnesses.” From then on, the couple are referred to as Jehovah’s Witnesses. However, as a Jehovah’s Witness of five decades, I can confidently say that the couple’s actions and behavior at Mark’s home were entirely inaccurate. This inconsistency pulled me out of the story, so I must give it a lower rating.

Many thanks to Boldwood Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.