Scan barcode
soobooksalot's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Twists aren't just for the end of a book!
I read the majority of Sally Hepworth's newest, The Soulmate, in one evening. It's perfectly bingeable.
Pippa, husband Gabe, and daughters Freya and Asha, appear to be the perfect family. But any thriller reader knows this is never the case.
The story is told from the points of view of two characters. Each is in two time frames - before/after, and then/now.
I'm a big fan of domestic suspense and I did not see the twists of The Soulmate coming, built in along the way to keep us off balance. And I definitely did not anticipate the ending!
Great characters, excellent pacing.
Recommended!
For release on April 4.
I read the majority of Sally Hepworth's newest, The Soulmate, in one evening. It's perfectly bingeable.
Pippa, husband Gabe, and daughters Freya and Asha, appear to be the perfect family. But any thriller reader knows this is never the case.
The story is told from the points of view of two characters. Each is in two time frames - before/after, and then/now.
I'm a big fan of domestic suspense and I did not see the twists of The Soulmate coming, built in along the way to keep us off balance. And I definitely did not anticipate the ending!
Great characters, excellent pacing.
Recommended!
For release on April 4.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
kimveach's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
An excellent thriller. It kept me engaged from beginning to end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol
tspice24's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Suicide attempt
kelly_e's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Title: The Soulmate
Author: Sally Hepworth
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 3.50
Pub Date: April 4, 2023
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for offering me a DRC and to Macmillan Audio for providing me with ALC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. #Gifted #Ad
T H R E E • W O R D S
Bingeable • Suspenseful • Dysfunctional
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Pippa, Gabe and their two daughters moved into their cliffside dream home with the hopes of starting over after a difficult period in their marriage. Their home is close to a cliff known as 'The Drop' - a spot chosen by many people to end their own lives. In the time since they've been living there, Gabe has prevented a number of people from jumping to their deaths.
One night, Pippa sees a woman hovering close to the edge of the cliff. So Gabe heads out to talk to her, while Pippa calls the police. Pippa sees them talking, but soon the woman plunges to her death leaving Gabe left standing there with his arms outstretched. Originally ruled a suicide, Pippa isn't convinced. When she discovers Gabe knew the victim, she begins to question everything.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Over the years, Sally Hepworth has become an auto-read author for me, and so it will come as no surprise that I was eagerly anticipating her 2023 release, The Soulmate, especially after seeing the stunning cover. This twisty story focuses on the highs and lows of marriage and ended up being simply an okay read for me.
What I liked:
• the cover. I was drawn to the stunning cover before reading it, and it makes even more sense now that I've finished.
• the short chapters. They allowed me to be easily drawn into the plot, and helped build suspense.
• dual timeline/dual perspective. Another tool that helps build suspense and fill in the backstory in a way that makes sense.
• victim perspective. Getting to read from a dead characters POV was interesting and unique. It added a different vibe to the plot.
• the audio. Narrated by Barrie Kreinik and Jessica Douglas-Henry, the audio was very well done. The different voices helped me keep track of each of the characters and their stories, and the pacing was easy to follow.
What I disliked:
• mental health as a plot twist. I had serious issues with how Sally Hepworth handled mental health in this book. From a misdiagnosis to yet another portrayal of someone with mental illness being dangerous it all just didn't sit well with me.
• the ending. There was so much tension building and marital drama that I'd expected some mind-blowing reveal, but in all honestly it the ending was a let down.
The Soulmate was definitely a page-turner with more drama than thrill. I thought the first half was very well done, but the second half tried to go in too many directions. While I enjoyed my reading experience this wasn't my favourite of hers. Something about how she handled mental illness rubbed me the wrong way. I'll continue to read her books though.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• domestic drama fans
• readers needing to get out of a slump
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"It's as if, while living your life, you view the world through a straw. You see only the tiniest sliver, all of it from your own perspective. Other people have their motives, their backstories, their feelings, but you don't know that unless they share them with you, and even then there's every chance they're lying or prevaricating. What strikes me most now is the audacity of people, walking around with such certainty while armed with only the scantest information."
Author: Sally Hepworth
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 3.50
Pub Date: April 4, 2023
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for offering me a DRC and to Macmillan Audio for providing me with ALC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. #Gifted #Ad
T H R E E • W O R D S
Bingeable • Suspenseful • Dysfunctional
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Pippa, Gabe and their two daughters moved into their cliffside dream home with the hopes of starting over after a difficult period in their marriage. Their home is close to a cliff known as 'The Drop' - a spot chosen by many people to end their own lives. In the time since they've been living there, Gabe has prevented a number of people from jumping to their deaths.
One night, Pippa sees a woman hovering close to the edge of the cliff. So Gabe heads out to talk to her, while Pippa calls the police. Pippa sees them talking, but soon the woman plunges to her death leaving Gabe left standing there with his arms outstretched. Originally ruled a suicide, Pippa isn't convinced. When she discovers Gabe knew the victim, she begins to question everything.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Over the years, Sally Hepworth has become an auto-read author for me, and so it will come as no surprise that I was eagerly anticipating her 2023 release, The Soulmate, especially after seeing the stunning cover. This twisty story focuses on the highs and lows of marriage and ended up being simply an okay read for me.
What I liked:
• the cover. I was drawn to the stunning cover before reading it, and it makes even more sense now that I've finished.
• the short chapters. They allowed me to be easily drawn into the plot, and helped build suspense.
• dual timeline/dual perspective. Another tool that helps build suspense and fill in the backstory in a way that makes sense.
• victim perspective. Getting to read from a dead characters POV was interesting and unique. It added a different vibe to the plot.
• the audio. Narrated by Barrie Kreinik and Jessica Douglas-Henry, the audio was very well done. The different voices helped me keep track of each of the characters and their stories, and the pacing was easy to follow.
What I disliked:
• mental health as a plot twist. I had serious issues with how Sally Hepworth handled mental health in this book. From a misdiagnosis to yet another portrayal of someone with mental illness being dangerous it all just didn't sit well with me.
• the ending. There was so much tension building and marital drama that I'd expected some mind-blowing reveal, but in all honestly it the ending was a let down.
The Soulmate was definitely a page-turner with more drama than thrill. I thought the first half was very well done, but the second half tried to go in too many directions. While I enjoyed my reading experience this wasn't my favourite of hers. Something about how she handled mental illness rubbed me the wrong way. I'll continue to read her books though.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• domestic drama fans
• readers needing to get out of a slump
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"It's as if, while living your life, you view the world through a straw. You see only the tiniest sliver, all of it from your own perspective. Other people have their motives, their backstories, their feelings, but you don't know that unless they share them with you, and even then there's every chance they're lying or prevaricating. What strikes me most now is the audacity of people, walking around with such certainty while armed with only the scantest information."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Addiction, Cursing, Vomit, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
overdosejessreadreceipts's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Suicide
Moderate: Mental illness and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Infidelity, Stalking, and Alcohol
remi_jane's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Suicide
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Death
christareadswhat's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, and Suicide
sarajjj_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt
emgovan's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Suicide, and Blood
onemorepagecrew's review against another edition
medium-paced
4.5
The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth is a dual timeline, dual perspective mystery that kept the pages turning. In it we meet two women, Pippa and Amanda, and we alternate between their narratives. Amanda has recently fallen to her death from a steep cliff in Pippa’s backyard known as The Drop.
But did she jump? Did Pippa’s husband, Gabe, push her? Those are the questions the book is anchored on. And my favorite aspect - Amanda’s story is being told from the afterlife, as she watches events unfold.
I really enjoyed the two-woman narration and POVs. There was a strange kinship between the two characters as they worked to unpack the stories of their husbands and it worked extremely well.
I’d recommend this to those who enjoy a mystery that unfolds with clues along the way and a resolved ending. It’s not a thriller mood, more of a somber puzzle you’re solving. Personally, the ending was not my favorite, but I thought the storytelling was effective.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the gifted and advanced copy of this novel – I really enjoyed reading it.
Content warnings: Mental illness, Self-harm, Suicide, Death, Infidelity
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Infidelity