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taylorelena's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-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’m giving it a 3.75 ⭐️
I really liked the premise of this book but by the synopsis I fully expected it to be a thriller so when it went to a domestic drama instead of thriller it caught me off guard. There were some plot holes and things that I was like ok why does that matter. Overall I’d still recommend it and would pick up another book by the author
I really liked the premise of this book but by the synopsis I fully expected it to be a thriller so when it went to a domestic drama instead of thriller it caught me off guard. There were some plot holes and things that I was like ok why does that matter. Overall I’d still recommend it and would pick up another book by the author
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Infertility and Infidelity
kimveach's review
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
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
overdoseseetaylorwrite's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Rating: 4.5
What happens when love pushes you to the edge? That’s exactly what Pippa and Gabe find out in “The Soulmate”. Nobody has the perfect marriage, regardless of how it seems on the outside. What secrets are Gabe and Pippa hiding? You’ll have to read and find out.
This thriller had me locked in from the time I got the ARC via audiobook and again whenever I got the hardback copy from my BOTM box. So many twists and turns that I never saw coming. My jaw dropped several times and I found myself holding my breath more than once. The last two chapters were the most surprising of them all.
I highly recommend this book, especially if you like thrillers and sitting on the edge of your seat.
What happens when love pushes you to the edge? That’s exactly what Pippa and Gabe find out in “The Soulmate”. Nobody has the perfect marriage, regardless of how it seems on the outside. What secrets are Gabe and Pippa hiding? You’ll have to read and find out.
This thriller had me locked in from the time I got the ARC via audiobook and again whenever I got the hardback copy from my BOTM box. So many twists and turns that I never saw coming. My jaw dropped several times and I found myself holding my breath more than once. The last two chapters were the most surprising of them all.
I highly recommend this book, especially if you like thrillers and sitting on the edge of your seat.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
deelightfulreads's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Mental illness, Suicide, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
abruce19's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicide, Violence, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Infidelity, Sexual content, and Vomit
jessreadreceipts'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
amobrien's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
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.
Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Suicide
Minor: Infidelity and Schizophrenia/Psychosis