The Soulmate

Sally Hepworth is one of my auto-read authors. I have read all but one of her books, so I was excited to receive an advanced copy of her latest book, The Soulmate.

The Soulmate is a story about secrets, lies, dysfunctional marriages and miscommunicating adults. A young family buys a beautiful house on a steep cliff that overlooks the ocean which is known as a popular spot for people to take their own lives. Pippa sees her husband Gabe talking to a woman at the cliff when suddenly the woman goes over the edge. Did Gabe try to save the woman? Or did he push her?

Told by Pippa and Amanda in before and after timelines, I spent the first half of the book trying to put the pieces together, waiting for things to gel and to connect with the characters. Hepworth writes a deliciously ominous feel, but the story didn't come together for me, and I never felt invested in the lives of these unlikeable characters. And I felt the business dealings muddled things up even more. The storytelling had an erratic feel and the second half of the book plodded along with twists that were lackluster. I also felt frustrated with Pippa who, although a highly educated woman, she is dumb as rocks when it comes to her marriage.

There were simply too many farfetched plot points:

• Too much miscommunication between the couples
• Being asked to believe that an electronic device police have been searching for on a beach is found by a four-year-old and still works weeks later
• How any family would buy a house - despite the view - that is on a cliff that is a popular spot for suicide jumpers. And to keep their kids safe they simply tell their four-year-olds to 'not go near the edge'. Um, nope.
• My biggest issue was how one character's mental health was handled with an obvious and ridiculous misdiagnosis

This book seemed to be a great fit for me with its short chapters, secrets, lies and potential twists, but I struggled to finish this book. I am disappointed and sad that this was an underwhelming read for me. I'm chalking this book up to 'books that were probably written during Covid' because there have been a few by different authors that just feel off. Despite this being a miss for me I look forward to reading whatever Sally comes up with next. 

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to St Martin's Press for my advanced copy which was provided in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 2.5 stars

Author: Sally Hepworth

Genre: Suspense

Type and Source: ebook from publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: St Martin's Press

First Published: April 4, 2023

Book Description from GoodReads: 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.