The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth

source: ARC via St. Martin’s Press/NetGalley
title: The Soulmate
author: Sally Hepworth (Instagram/ Twitter)
genre: psychological thriller
published: April 2023
first line: “Someone is out there.”
rated: 4 out of 5


blurb:
Get ready for a thrilling, addictive novel about marriage, betrayal, and the secrets that push us to the edge in Sally Hepworth’s The Soulmate.

There’s a cottage on a cliff. Gabe and Pippa’s dream home in a sleepy coastal town. But their perfect house hides something sinister. The tall cliffs have become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Night after night Gabe comes to their rescue, literally talking them off the ledge. Until he doesn’t.

When Pippa discovers Gabe knew the victim, the questions spiral…Did the victim jump? Was she pushed?

And would Gabe, the love of Pippa’s life, her soulmate…lie? As the perfect facade of their marriage begins to crack, the deepest and darkest secrets begin to unravel.

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my thoughts:

Happy New Year! I tried getting this review posted yesterday to finish off my 2022 reviewing year, because The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth was the last book I read in 2022 and it was a great way to end my reading year. This story took right off from page one and had me hooked until I turned that final page.

Gabe and Pippa live a seemingly nice life in their dream home located on a cliff by the sea. However, so far 7 people have gone to the cliff’s edge to attempt suicide while the couple has lived there. Gabe has talked all 7 back from the ledge, it’s become his calling of some sort. He’s saved all except one woman named Amanda. When the suicide is investigated, detectives start to dig deeper because things don’t seem to add up and Gabe and Pippa’s lives are suddenly upended.

I enjoyed this entertaining psychological thriller. Author Sally Hepworth sets up the mood just right, then executes the story perfectly. The lovely cottage by the sea with a cliff nearby was a great backdrop for this mystery.

I can’t say too much more in order to avoid spoilers, but as the story flows we read the alternating POV’s of two of the main characters. The characters involved are well fleshed out and seem like they could be real people. Pippa tells us how she came to meet Gabe and you can see the red flags everywhere. She often doubts her own truths because of Gabe and the way he presents things to her throughout their married life. I also found that the author did a nice job at portraying how mental illness can affect a marriage.

I find so many psychological thrillers like this focus on the fact that you never really truly know a person. So often people show us what they want us to see instead of what is reality. The author does a great job at portraying the dynamics of married life and at how things can quickly spiral out of control if you’re living in denial. As the story went along several bombs were dropped that I did not see coming. The way the author goes back and forth from the two main characters POV’s added to the tension throughout the book and had me on the edge of my seat while reading.

I recommend The Soulmate if you enjoy a twisty thriller centered around family, married life and how far you would go to protect the ones you love. Lastly, I love the cover and the eye-catching vibrant blue.

“I’m not the kind of person who lies to the police. I am the epitome of a good citizen. I have no unpaid fines of any sort.”-The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth

“People always talk about love like it’s a magical thing, a gift from the gods, a sunbeam of euphoria from above! But it’s horrible, being in love. The vulnerability it exposes. The person it makes you.”-The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth

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Disclaimer: This review is my honest opinion. I did not receive any kind of compensation for reading and reviewing this book. I am under no obligation to write a positive review. I received a copy of The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth was courtesy of St. Martin’s Press/NetGalley in exchange for my thoughts on it.