Welcome to Litsy!

Next up in my #botm read-a-thon is the thriller The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth.

This was the right book at the right time for me! I needed something to quickly dip in and out of during baseball tournaments. A fast read about two couples in Australia. Switching perspectives with a connection between the two couples—one set young parents, the other successful and married 25+ years. I like Sally Hepworth and should read more from her. We also found much do discuss about this during book club.

Both boys had baseball tournaments all weekend. Both continue through the week. Good thing I have a page turner to keep me company!

Not a bad story but not as amazing as I had hoped for. There‘s some slow parts. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Every now and then I need a quick mystery/thriller to cleanse my pallet between more "serious" reads. I mostly liked the way this dealt with mental health and the excuses we will make to ourselves and others to cope, but as a lawyer with a husband who struggles with mental health like the character of Pippa, I found it hard to believe that she could be so naive from the very beginning of her relationship with Gabe.

I enjoyed this quick read while I was listening but have been surprised to find it very forgettable. The relationship between Amanda and Max is believable but Pippa‘s easy willingness to be misled by her untrustworthy husband despite his troubled history is a pretty unsteady pillar to build the suspense on. Not bad, but not great either.

Thanks to these Litsy folks for today‘s prompt:

#LUCKYINLOVE
@Eggs
@AlwaysBeenALoverOfBooks
@LitsyEvents
#LitsyEvents

TODAY‘S PROMPT: SOULMATE

How could he not have saved her from jumping?  

Gabe has saved so many people from committing suicide before.

Wonder what went wrong this time?

FULL REVIEW: http://tinyurl.com/dz3uc8re

This was a super quick book to read. I really liked the story line. There were a lot of twists, but I think I was expecting a little more suspense or something more from this one. I did like the way the author dealt with mental illness in this book and didn‘t shy away from the impact of mental health issues on an individual and those around them. I thought the story was well constructed and I enjoyed the writing.

I found Gabe and Pippa to be borderline annoying, and their marriage had dysfunctional written all over it. I think the ending is the only thing that surprised me in the whole book, an ending that did fit rather well. The one thing I liked about the audiobook is that there were two narrators, one for Pippa and one for Amanda. I felt like this allowed for the characters to have their own personalities to go along with their individual voices.

#BookReport 01/24

Because I was on vacation I have had lots of time@to read. This week‘s favorite was the tagged, an addictive thriller. Both #LitsyToB24 reads were no favorites. Of the two small ones, Heating & Cooling was meh but The Hole very good.

Did Pipa‘s husband try to save a suicidal jumper, or push her off a cliff? 4.5 stars for this good, twisty thriller featuring a relatively sympathetic look at the affect of mental illness on a family. One character is revealed to be much more than he/she seems. Author tries to paint sympathetic, complex portrait of mentally ill character, with mixed success on that point. Plotting & audiobook narration are very good. #thriller #audiobook

What a great thriller to end the year with. The Soulmate starts off a little cheesy, a woman adoring her gorgeous husband, the whole “soulmate” thing, but when it gains momentum it‘s full of twists and the characters are much darker than I initially thought. Surely recommended!

(Photo: Les Crosets, Switzerland)

I know this is cheating but I honestly couldn‘t choose between these two books for my June favorite - both were excellent!
#12booksof2023

Another great book by Sally Hepworth. I devoured this one! Great page turner that keeps you guessing until the end. This book has a little bit of everything including complicated marriages, death, mental illness and a story that keeps you engaged. Can‘t wait to read her newest release.

I don't know about anyone else, but I always get so excited when I find out why the book was named what it was. The reasoning here did actually surprise me.
Not the twisty and exciting thriller I was expecting, but I was invested in these characters and I needed answers.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

11.4.23

I don‘t think I‘ve ever read a Sally Hepworth book that I didn‘t like!

Relying on an undiagnosed mental illness to make your story come together is lazy writing. I think Hepworth still could have gotten to her end without it. I do like how Hepworth made things come together, I just don‘t like how she got there.

Book 4/9 for #OutstandingOctober

Another five star read! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Gotta love a good thriller like this! Lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing the entire time. This was a fast read for me because I was dying to know all the secrets that this book held. Loved the multiple POVs and timelines that really brought the whole story together.

This is my first Sally Hepworth but it will NOT be my last! Omg this book had it all, perfect twists, love, romance, mental illness, unwavering support and peace. I have been absolutely hooked on this book from the very first sentence. Highly recommend reading if you enjoy mystery/thrillers that keep you guessing until the last possible second.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Here is maybe half of what I have on my potential #AugustTBR. I‘m still looking for a five-star read this month, so if you have any thoughts, please push me in the right direction! 🫣😅 #Rushathon

4/5 ⭐
A nice thriller to read at the beach or on vacation.

My 3rd book of vacation is done. A 4 ⭐️ read.

Up next on audio! 🎧

My book club‘s summer pick for the suspense/mystery genre.

#bookspinbingo

Book #60
I don't know if I can give this an accurate rating, because even though I finished it only about a week ago... I honestly cannot remember how it ended. Lol. I think I enjoyed reading it?

Enjoyed this much better as an audiobook. So many twists I had to keep rewinding to make sure I had heard everything clearly. Interesting premise, fulfilling conclusions to most of the various threads of the story. Nothing groundbreaking here but still entertaining. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

An excellent thriller! I loved the switching POVs & the momentum it added to the story! I also liked that there was focus on mental health & how families of those with mental health issues are affected! This story goes in a direction you‘re not expecting but makes total sense at the end. This was my first of this author‘s & I‘ll definitely check out some of her past ones!

I couldn't put this one down. It's my 3rd from this author and I haven't been disappointed yet. I love the slow reveal as we learn more about a sweet family living on a seaside cliff. Things aren't as perfect as they seem. The opening scene sets things in motion quickly and they don‘t slow down. We rotate the POV as the plot unfolds. Can't wait to read the next Hepworth! TW Mental illness and suicide.

Thought this book was just going to be a beach read, but the story is good and the twists keep coming. One narrator is the murdered woman and one is the wife of a man who‘s involved in the murder. Or is it a suicide? We get the past and the present from each of the two woman. Did she jump or was she pushed? Better not to draw conclusions as there‘s A LOT more going on than you think. It‘s a gripper!

Fast-paced and twisty… I found myself wanting to devour it and I was held captive until the very last page!

I devoured this entire book today because I was so hooked I didn‘t want to put it down! It was such a fast read for me because I found it well-paced and interesting - I could not figure out what was going on. It got very twisty at the end!

#bookspinbingo - this is my #bookspin for this month!
#botm

Easy to read and almost instantly forgettable

I am so pleased with my #bookspin and #doublespin picks for June! 😁

#Water
#MayMontage
#TBR 💧📚💙

Book 100🎧 2.5⭐️

I kept asking myself, “who cares?!” 😂

It wasn‘t a bad thriller… but nothing genre shattering!

I loved how this was written with each short chapter ending with a clue and the next chapter resolving that clue. I had so much fun with all the the clue/resolutions that I forgot to try to figure out how things might resolve for these two women (one beingq dead- not a spoiler) madly in love with their husbands.

5-16-23: My 52nd finished book of 2023! I really enjoyed this. Pippa and Gabe are a happily married couple with 2 little girls. They live next to The Drop, a well known cliff side where people routinely commit suicide. Since moving there Gabe has been very helpful in stopping this until one windy night when things don‘t go well. Told in present day and before by Pippa and one other narrator, it was a very interesting concept. Lots of twists.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5 This book is about secrets, mental health, and relationships. How well do we know the ones we love? I recommend this book for readers who like mysteries. I listened to the audio version and found it to be an atmospheric and easy listen. The storyline alternates between the POV of two women, alternating between their past and present. Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60784540

Gabe and Pippa live at the beach near a cliff where people jump to end their life. One day they saw a woman jump and realize that they know the woman. She happens to be the wife of Gabe‘s boss, Max. Max owns a huge media company and has no idea why his wife would commit suicide. This book was so good and it had one of those moments where my mouth dropped near the end.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Easy, breezy domestic suspense! Fun and twisty, but probably mostly forgettable for me personally. I wasn‘t invested in the characters like I was with “The Good Sister” by this author. 🎧

I‘ve made it about 100 pages in and just have no want to keep going. I keep having this problem, really having trouble concentrating on physical books while mostly loving audiobooks (and some ebooks). The physical book has to really capture my attention to draw me in, and this just isn‘t doing that. I‘m finding the characters really aggravating. I‘ve put a hold on the audiobook but it‘s going to be months until it‘s available.🤞I like that better!

Can‘t wait for the blue box to arrive! #BOTM

⭐️⭐️⭐️ An enjoyable thriller that is a fast read and easy to follow. The kind of book that you don't try and guess the ending, you just sit back and enjoy the story. #botm

🎧 It kept me guessing & the ending got me!

Fun, easy, quick, twisty mystery! I read it in one sitting.

Gabe & Pippa buy a cottage on a cliff in a small town. Gabe has talked multiple jumpers off the edge & one day he doesn‘t.

Was it an accident?
Did she jump?
Was she pushed?

There‘s cheating, lying, mental health issues & talk of suicide. Pippa comes across as such a pushover that you feel she‘s being psychologically abused.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

3️⃣3️⃣ Lone Women ➡️ 3️⃣4️⃣ The Soulmate

#ThingsInCommon: #botm

This was a very entertaining family drama/mystery, not that much of a thriller. I enjoyed the unraveling of our main couple‘s relationship and the set-up. Our main couple live near a cliff which unfortunately tends to attract those contemplating suicide. The husband has prevented a couple of attempts but one day seemingly is unable to stop a women from jumping. Or did he? I definitely recommend if you enjoy domestic thrillers. 4⭐️
⬇️

THE SOULMATE

There are two couples: Pippa and Gabe. Amanda and Max. Two, not timelines exactly, but times. Before and after. From Amanda's prospective and from Pippa's. These two couples are on a collision course that may do so much harm. Or it may help some heal. Move on. Find happiness. Either together or apart. Whichever way it all starts at the jumping off place.

Link to review: https://tinyurl.com/4usxk3my

I liked this but it was a bit a slow burn. It was an interesting look at love, marriage, and mental illness and its impact on a regular family. It wasn't really a thriller and it was a slow burn but nonetheless I love this Australian author! It was fun to listen to the audiobook. ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

3.5 Stars

I was a little hesitant to read The Soulmate as my first book by Hepworth was only okay. However, I found this domestic thriller/suspense kept me glue to the pages. It reminded me of B.A. Paris novel, where the suspense is there in the form of family secrets slowly unraveling.

#netgalley #arc #suspense