I will start by saying that i am a huge Rona Halsall fan, but this one didn't quite hit the mark for me. And speaking of Mark, he goes around the world, playing pianos in train stations, because, why not? When Holly passes by Mark playing the piano at Glasgow station, she can't help but stop and sing along. Very quickly, there is a strong and very obvious connection between Holly and Mark and, when Mark discovers that Holly is trying to run from an abusive and controlling relationship, he vows to help her flee to safety. Both Holly and Mark are convinced they have found their soulmate, but both of them have a dark past that the other knows nothing about - yet!

Once the two flee Scotland, the plot became messy and convoluted. It was still an enjoyable read and I do recommend it if you like a twisty thriller, but it felt maybe a bit rushed and as though it has bypassed some of the edit process. It absolutely won't deter me from reading Rona's future books as she is a brilliant, brilliant author!

3 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Rona Halsall and Boldwood for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Firstly a big thank you for my early access in exchange for a review .
I believe this is the first book from this author and will definitely be reading more!
I inhaled this in the bath .
Unpredictable ,fast paced ,exhilarating and will hit your senses as it’s go go go in the race for survival .
Don’t trust people or think things are greener on the other side .
Disturbing and unsettling this is a fantastic psychological thriller.
Will have you feeling tense and claustrophobic.
Highly recommend

digital ARC was provided by Netgalley and Boldwood Books

Oh my Gawd what a mess it was?!

Synopsis
Holly met Mark, Holly wanted to get away from her current life. Mark seemed like the perfect man for her for now. Mark and Holly harbor secrets that could ruin both of them.

What I like
Nothing.

What I don't like
Wasn't sure what I expected but definitely not this. It's supposed to be a straight up couple with secrets, but Halsall took a long route. Even then, it seems so ridiculous at best.
The characters irked me so much, all of them. They're stupid bunches with convenient ending.

Final thoughts
Not even for me to pass the time.

This needs a lot of work. Aurthor needs to better research Jehovahs Witnesses. They would never talk or do the things in this book. Its very disrespectiful. It needs rewritten big time!!

Thank you #netgalley for this ebook wow all I can say was this book kept me going again read this in two sittings the twist in this book love all books by this author cannot wait for more

The BRAND NEW psychological thriller from #1 bestseller Rona HalsallDo you believe in love at first sight?
Holly does, in spite of everything that’s happened in her life. Sometimes the thought that her soulmate is out there is the only thing that keeps her going.

Then she hears her favourite song being played. She’s drawn to where the sound is coming from, as if by a magnetic force. There is a handsome young man sitting at a public piano, who smiles at her, and she feels that spark she’s always dreamt of. She asks if she can join him, and sings along, seeing his face light up.

He’s called Mark, she later discovers. And he feels the same. They both feel like they’ve been hit with a thunderbolt. But even though it seems like they’ve known each other for lifetime, the truth is that they’re strangers.

Because Holly has secrets. And so does Mark.

And one of them might just kill to keep them…

I always enjoy this authors book so I couldn’t wait to sit down and read this and wow I was not disappointed. I loved everything about it was full of twists and turns which kept me gripped the subject of domestic violence was handle very good and the characters were believable, my feelings in each character kept changing throughout. As the story went on, I did find myself feeling sorry for Holly and was hoping she would get a happy ending. It was addictive thriller which I struggled to put down I needed to know how it was going to end. Overall great book with many twists and turns which I definitely will be recommending to everyone. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this great book.

I thought this book was amazing! I really connected with Holly and found her to be super relatable. There is domestic violence described which might trigger some. The storyline moved at a nice pace and the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat. I really think everyone should read this. Big thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc!!

Ohhh boy! What started out as a seemingly sweet gesture quickly becomes intriguing only to turn creepy. I flew through it. The short, easily read chapters quickly pulled me into the story; before I knew it, I’d finished it in an afternoon. Grab a drink, some snacks, and clear your schedule, when you curl up with this page turner, ‘cause you won’t want to put it down. I like how Rona Halsall writes and can’t wait for her next book.
Thank You to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rona Halsall for the opportunity to (guiltily) enjoy this ARC.

Holly meets Mark in Scotland while he is trying to play the ‘free’ pianos around the UK. There seems to be an instant attraction when Holly sings a duet with him. Holly believes in love at first sight and meeting their soulmate and she thinks Mark may be the one. But there is one problem, her abusive a violent boyfriend called Finn, who’s is a game keeper. Mark is concerned about her welfare and tracks her down. After he helps Holly escape. Holly would have thought her life would turn out for the better. But she couldn’t have been more wrong. When after a long drive she hasn’t headed to Birmingham where she thought she was going but she finds out she is locked in an Annexe somewhere in Wales.
Holly is beside herself that she has done wrong again. The story slowly reveals of her past life and what she is running from. And finds if she can escape Marks clutches, she must do it all over again.
I have read most of Rona Halsall’s work and she seems to never disappoint. This I found a bit different from her previous work but still and enjoyable read.
This is a tense, suspenseful thriller but a slow burn. Slowing revealing that both characters are not what they expect each other to be. I found Mark quite delusional and find him a bit far-fetched at times. But I enjoyed the story, nevertheless. 4 stars from me.

The Soulmate is a twisty thriller meant to keep the reader engaged. It is a quick and satisfying read. I loved the ending! Holly and Mark meet and sing an impromptu duet before parting ways. Mark is intrigued by Holly and only wants to keep her safe. Mark is a fascinating character and the story told of him kept me wondering what he would do next. I hope I never run into Mark!!!

Grippingly unpredictable. Be prepared to put your life on hold! Taut and tense from the first page to the closing paragraphs……loved it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I initially wanted to like and root for Holly, because she appeared like a battered woman with a difficult past, but as the story progressed, her lack of decision making ability and insecurity was frustrating to read. Then there's Mark, who tried to come across as a wholesome wonderful guy, but you can just feel there's something not quite right about him.

The story eventually ties together in the end which makes it not a bad read.

A new Rona Halsall release is always something to look forward to and this latest one doesn't disappoint.

Holly is trying to escape her past after many events in her life where she has felt the need to run. At a train station she meets a male pianist, Mark, who is playing her favourite Lenny Kravitz song, so she feels a pull towards him and starts to sing. The connection between them is unmistakable and they both seem to feel it but Holly must return home, before she is missed.

Holly is currently living with Finn who has given her a home when she needed it, however his behaviour has slowly been changing and he is becoming more and more controlling. Holly needs to find a way to escape, could Mark be the answer?

This is a great domestic thriller with twists and turns to keep you interested throughout. Plenty of secrets are being kept that will gradually be discovered. This is one where you are never sure who to trust and some sections are a little unsettling but you will find yourself hooked from the start.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a digital copy of this book.

Thank you Netgalley for my copy.

This book was okay.

Some thing(s) I liked:
✅The short, choppy chapters makes it flow nice and fast.
✅It's wrong but the karma on Mark's mum is lol.
✅The fact you don't know if Mum or Mark is telling the truth about the other's behaviour and treatment when he was a child.

Some thing(s), not so much:
⭕Mark is just creepy AF, even at the beginning before he goes all Norman Bates, he's a weirdo.
⭕And we're supposed to like Holly? Because she just annoys me and she behaves like an idiot at every turn.
⭕Quite honestly, the entire first half was boring. Until Mark and Holly arrived in Wales, I very nearly fell asleep.
⭕Omg mark is a whiny little B isn't he? Made me want to punch him.
⭕I'm not even sure the epilogue and arrest were needed at the end. I would have quite happily seen it finished when he met the dreadlock girl.

Will happily ready more by Halsall though.

Wow, I really enjoyed this book and didn’t see the massive twist coming. It’s a unique plot that totally drew me in. I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys a great domestic thriller.

Mark wants to play all the pianos in train stations around the U.K.

Holly stops when she hears her favourite song and joins in with Mark.

They both feel an instant attraction/spark, but can they really be soulmates?

Mark feels that he and Holly should be together, but she is in a relationship, albeit not a good one.

I found this story to be dark and intense. I didn’t have many fingernails left by the time I had finished the book.

The characters were believable, I kept flitting between liking and loathing them. As the story went on, I did find myself feeling sorry for Holly.

This was a difficult story to read but the author managed to lighten the mood with some much needed humour.

My favourite character was Archie, the parrot. He made me laugh a lot.

My thanks to the author and Boldwood Books for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a book that I struggled with at the start as it had too much and at the same time not enough going on to keep my interest. There was too much information and yet the story seemed to be going nowhere. The midsection of the book however got going and I started to enjoy the plot.

Holly, our protagonist, comes from a difficult background and during the book we find out more about her and how she seems to move from one disaster to another, making the wrong choices each time. When she meets Mark it seems that things are improving, but that of course would not be a good plot line and Holly’s life actually becomes more complicated.

The book was an okay read for me and seemed a different style to others by the same author, less psychological thriller and more darkness. I didn’t warm to any of the characters and at the end was mainly left wondering what happened to the chef who was stabbed in the hand?

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

THE SOULMATE BY RONA HALSALL.
Release date set for the 30th of January 2025.
This author has a fair few books out and i have a few of them on my TBT pile and i believe this is my first one I've actually read so far.
I found this book intriguing throughout.
I thought it was a slow burn kinda book and it ends with an almighty bang.
I will be reading more of this authors books in the very near future.

* thank you to net galley for providing me with an e-arc in return for an honest review*

This was so good and engaging….once you get past the 20% mark. I so nearly put it down but I’m really glad I didn’t. I know a lot of people like setting the scene beforehand so will probably still enjoy it for the first 20% too, I’m just feral for action haha. The main character had me SOOOOO frustrated throughout but that just added to the angst of the book and my frustration made it better.

I really enjoyed this book. A tense domestic thriller where no one is quite what they seem. Most of the characters were flawed and hiding secrets about their lives which always makes for an interesting read. This is the kind of book I really enjoy.