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doodlebeanz's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Sally Hepworth has become a new auto-buy author for me! I love her writing style. It was so addictive and dual POVs always make a story more interesting, especially considering one was coming from beyond the grave. The characters were so developed and they felt real to me, like they were people you would meet at the local cafe or a PTA meeting. Were they entirely likable? No, but the way Hepworth brought them to life made up for it.
Gabe and Pippa were horrible; talk about codependent toxic relationships. I felt bad for Pippa that she put up with all the crap that Gabe put her through, but she also should've left a long, long time ago. Standing by someone through mental illness is one thing, but letting said mental illness excuse horrible behavior is another.
Max and Amanda really stole my heart by the end of the story, which I think was the point. I think 'The Soulmate' that the title of the book is referring to isn't about Gabe and Pippa's relationship, but Max and Amanda's. They were the couple that was meant for one another, the couple that got through hard shit together and communicated as best as they could. Amanda defended a lot of Max's bad decisions, and he wasn't perfect, but it wasn't in the same way that Pippa did with Gabe. Max and Amanda's relationship was such a great parallel to Gabe and Pippa's. The way Hepworth writes it, you think you are supposed to be rooting for Gabe and Pippa... but in the end, you realize they are not good together and you end up happy that they get divorced.
It was definitely a slow moving book, there were chapters that felt filler and they didn't add anything to the story, and that would probably be my only gripe. This book could've been finished in 40-50 chapters, but instead it was 87... I don't think any book needs to be 87 chapters unless it is a fantasy book, tbh.
I would recommend this book to anyone, really. It isn't a thriller, it's just a domestic drama with true crime elements. Anyone who appreciates good writing and an interesting and twisty plot would enjoy this book! I've seen some negative reviews online and I'm not quite sure why... this book deserves more praise!
Gabe and Pippa were horrible; talk about codependent toxic relationships. I felt bad for Pippa that she put up with all the crap that Gabe put her through, but she also should've left a long, long time ago. Standing by someone through mental illness is one thing, but letting said mental illness excuse horrible behavior is another.
It was definitely a slow moving book, there were chapters that felt filler and they didn't add anything to the story, and that would probably be my only gripe. This book could've been finished in 40-50 chapters, but instead it was 87... I don't think any book needs to be 87 chapters unless it is a fantasy book, tbh.
I would recommend this book to anyone, really. It isn't a thriller, it's just a domestic drama with true crime elements. Anyone who appreciates good writing and an interesting and twisty plot would enjoy this book! I've seen some negative reviews online and I'm not quite sure why... this book deserves more praise!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death, Grief, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Suicide, and Death of parent
jamelchior's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Suicide
rgetch06's review
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Suicide, Death, and Mental illness
chelseas_parks's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Such a fun read of splendidly-written twists & turns. I thoroughly enjoyed journeying with the characters’ and was kept in thrilling suspense right ‘til the end. A recommended read from me! Now off to find more Sally Hepworth books…
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Murder
Minor: Blood, Drug use, and Infidelity
ambersbakesandbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Suicide
Moderate: Death of parent, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
greatexpectations77's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I was a little afraid that the narrative style choice was going to be kind of gimmicky, but I thought it worked pretty well. But also goddamn, can women stop dating super annoying and damaging men? At least this is super realistic. The husband is just such a nightmare. The female characters in this book seem to fall into the trope of women being too emotional to remember to be logical. And I do not like that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Death
Moderate: Abandonment, Infidelity, Murder, Suicide, and Grief
Minor: Pregnancy, Sexual content, Blood, Pandemic/Epidemic, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Addiction, Death of parent, and Gun violence
mriou310's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Suicide, Infidelity, Death, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt
mbmontgo's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicide, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
spicy_tofu's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
The characters were extremely unlikeable and I found it hard to connect with any of them. The main character was unbelievably stupid, weak, naive, bland and tiresome. I was disappointed and frustrated that she lacked any common sense and continued to gaslight herself throughout the ENTIRE book and it made it hard to be invested in her story. The way she is SO obsessed with and forgiving of her TERRIBLE husband (with countless glaring red flags) just because he's gorgeous. 🤢🙄🤡 Mental illness was used as a plot device and I felt like it was done so in an extremely disrespectful, lazy and damaging way. It either reflected poor understanding of mental illness or poor writing?? The few lines at the end of the book about the main character's realisation regarding her husband's mental illness felt lazy and nowhere near sufficient to save the book from its damaging portrayal of mental illness. I did enjoy the format with the short chapters and mini cliffhangers and different perspectives and times. But the second person's POV was kind of a crazy concept... Anyway the main character and her husband gave me bad vibes from the start and they were all confirmed by the end, which was kind of predictable. There was also zero character development, and this was reinforced by the final chapter where we get to glimpse one year into the future. I also found the portrayal and writing of some of the characters very inconsistent and confusing. Many aspects about the ending were also very frustrating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Gaslighting, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and Suicide
wonderfulxwonderful's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicide, Death, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Pregnancy, and Addiction