The Soulmate

A young couple, Gabe and Pippa, and their two small daughters reboot their life by moving to a cliffside cottage. Unfortunately, their backyard butts up against The Spot, a favorite suicide location. Gabe, a stay-at-home dad, often talks people down who look ready to jump until the day he fails and a woman named Amanda falls to her death. But when it's revealed that Amanda has a connection to the couple, it raises questions that form the backbone of the rest of the story.
This novel is told from both Pippa and Amanda's point of view. I have no problem with multiple narrators but draw the line at a POV character who is deceased and sharing their thoughts from beyond the grave. To me, it's a cheat and I don't buy it. The other problem I had with this book was that no conscientious couple with small children would live in a home where a dangerous drop-off was only steps from their backyard. It's just not logical. And if the real estate agent failed to disclose this, they would sue.

While I quibbled with these holes in logic, I did appreciate the subtle hand with which Hepworth examined mental illness and its effect on not only the individual but those around them. And the short, choppy chapters made this an easy read. It's a fast-paced domestic thriller and Hepworth is a good writer – it's just this one had some red flags for me that took me out of the story so I'm only giving it four stars.

A big thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.