Read with Fern

Goes to show how dangerous it can be, thinking you know someone.

Sally Hepworth, The Soulmate

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This book purposefully challenges what your perception of soulmates is. Can you be soulmates without ever saying “I love you”? Can you be soulmates without trust? Are soulmates purely a romantic partner? And ultimately, are soulmates real?

This is the third Sally Hepworth book I’ve read, and each one has a way of drawing you into a complex family without scaring you away. I wanted to get to know Pippa, her daughters, her family. I felt bad for Amanda, for everything she’d given up. And as each new twist appeared, I was still hoping they could both find peace with the lives they’d lived and the soulmates they’d shared them with. Well, maybe not peace, but acceptance.

There are four main characters in this book, even though the only narrators are the wives. Pippa is married to Gabe, and Amanda is married to Max. The two relationships are wildly different internally, but both manage to present a hopelessly-in-love exterior to the world. Each couple is heavily focused on a key tenant for their relationship. Pippa and Gabe have vowed their loyalty to each other, while Amanda and Max have vowed fidelity.

Both couples maintain their foundation throughout their marriages, until Amanda discovers Max having an apparent affair. This is the catalyst for the rest of the story. Meanwhile, Pippa and Gabe continue to value their loyalty to each other over almost everything else, including the safety of their children.

Ready for my full review (with spoilers)? Continue reading here!

In the end, I think this books shows you choose your soulmate just as you choose your own fate. You don’t necessarily realize it’s happened, but you are your own driving force each day, intertwining your life with theirs.