A review by doodlebeanz
The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth

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!  
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