Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me the opportunity to read and review The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth! Before I jump into that, here’s a little about what I’ve been up to.
I have been kind of MIA for a while, I know. I started a new job with an urgent care in May and it’s taken a long time for me to get into a different routine. I’m doing 12 hour shifts now, and while I absolutely love it, I am just so fricken tired on my days off! That plus my computer has been hijacked to be used for my husbands business, so I have been computerless since May.
But anyway, that’s not what you came here to read, so let’s jump into my thoughts on The Soulmate!
**I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest and voluntary review. All thoughts and opinions are my own**
From The Back Cover
“Picture a lovely cottage on a cliff, with sloping lawns, walking paths, and beautiful flowers. It’s Gabe and Pippa Gerard’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. Over the past several months, Gabe comes to their rescue, literally talking them off the ledge.
Until one day, 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 façade of their marriage begins to crack, the deepest and darkest secrets begin to unravel. Because sometimes, the most convincing lies are the ones we tell ourselves.”
Synopsis
Gabe and Pippa moved to a nice coastal town. They have a big cliff behind their house that has been deemed “The Drop” and numerous people have come there to commit suicide over the years. Since moving in, Gabe has stopped 7 people from jumping off. Until Amanda.
Gabe’s story doesn’t line up with what Pippa saw from the kitchen window, which leaves her wondering, “Why did he lie to the police about how it happened? Why didn’t he tell her he knew who she was? and did Gabe actually push the woman from the cliff?”
Review
So by the time I was half way through The Soulmate, I still wasn’t sure if I liked it or not. But then realized I must not hate it because I haven’t wanted to put it down. So I guess that at least says something right?
What I didn’t like About The Soulmate
I really did not love the main characters, at least most of the time. I thought Gabe was super erratic and then all of a sudden totally normal. His mood was so all over the place that I couldn’t figure out what the heck he was doing. I guess it may have been important to the story but I had a hard time picturing nice Gabe behaving anywhere close to not nice Gabe. If that makes sense.
And Pippa drove me crazy. She is either a complete pushover or she’s blind. I don’t understand how in the world she could even tolerate her husband, and she’s all like “Oh, he’s my world. He’s the best. I just love him so much I couldn’t even breathe without him.” Uck! She’s either completely oblivious or in denial. I’m actually leaning more towards denial.
I also don’t think the way she forgives his behavior so easily is normal. Like, I understand forgiveness, but to be able to immediately forgive within minutes of finding out about some of the crazy stuff he’s pulled is just not normal. A normal human being would have at least a little time to be mad and process everything.
Sorry, I’m ranting, but this character really annoyed me.
What I Liked About The Soulmate
Dual timeline- The book is told in both past and present and I love this. I feel like there’s a better understanding when you have the past and present together.
Dual POV- I actually prefer books told from more than one persons perspectives. When reading books from just one perspective, I always find myself wondering what the other characters are thinking.
One POV was from the dead person’s perspective- One of the 2 POV’s is the ghost of the woman who died, and I loved the way she was narrating the movements of everyone, and I liked reading her thoughts on what everyone was doing.
So The Final Conclusion
All in all, this was a good story. I gave it 3 stars because while I didn’t absolutely love it, I didn’t hate it either. There was plenty of suspense and it did keep me up reading long into the night. The plot and story were good, and it is well written. Just wasn’t a favorite for me.
So What’s Next For Me?
I am working on getting myself a new computer and working on a new posting schedule. SO honestly, I don’t know what exactly is going to happen next. But You will be the first to know when I know. For now, if you want more of my reviews, you can head right here! But until next time, I hope you have a wonderful day! I will be back as soon as I can!
