Soulmates: A Novel

Written by Jessica Grose

Narrated by Carly Robins, Zach Villa, Dan Woren and 2 more

""For anyone who has ever suspected something sinister lurking behind the craze of new-age spirituality, Jessica Grose has crafted just the tale for you. With the delicious bite of satire and the page-turning satisfaction of a thriller, Soulmates is a deeply compelling, funny and sharply observed look at just how far we will go to achieve inner peace.""—Lena Dunham

A clever, timely novel about a marriage, and infidelity, the meaning of true spirituality, perception and reality from the author of Sad Desk Salad, in which a scorned ex-wife tries to puzzle out the pieces of her husband’s mysterious death at a yoga retreat and their life together.

It’s been two years since the divorce, and Dana has moved on. She’s killing it at her law firm, she’s never looked better, thanks to all those healthy meals she cooks, and she’s thrown away Ethan’s ratty old plaid recliner. She hardly thinks about her husband—ex-husband—anymore, or about how the man she’d known since college ran away to the Southwest with a yoga instructor, spouting spiritual claptrap that Dana still can’t comprehend.

But when she sees Ethan’s picture splashed across the front page of the New York Post—""Nama-Slay: Yoga Couple Found Dead in New Mexico Cave""—Dana discovers she hasn’t fully let go of Ethan or the past. The article implies that it was a murder-suicide, and Ethan’s to blame. How could the man she once loved so deeply be a killer? Restless to find answers that might help her finally to let go, Dana begins to dig into the mystery surrounding Ethan’s death. Sifting through the clues of his life, Dana finds herself back in the last years of their marriage . . . and discovers that their relationship—like Ethan’s death—wasn’t what it appeared to be.

A novel of marriage, meditation, and all the spaces in between, Soulmates is a page-turning mystery, a delicious satire of our feel-good spiritual culture, and a nuanced look at contemporary relationships by one of the sharpest writers working today.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Sep 27, 2016
• ISBN: 9780062563491

Jessica Grose

Jessica Grose is an opinion writer at The New York Times who writes a popular newsletter on parenting. Jess was the founding editor of Lenny, the email newsletter and website. She also writes about women’s health, culture, politics and grizzly bears. She was named one of LinkedIn’s Next Wave top professionals 35 and under in 2016 and a Glamour “Game Changer” in 2020 for her coverage of parenting in the pandemic. She is the author of the novels Soulmates and Sad Desk Salad. She was formerly a senior editor at Slate, and an editor at Jezebel. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, New York, the Washington Post, Businessweek, Elle, Cosmopolitan, and many other publications. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughters.

Reviews for Soulmates

[samantha100_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Soulmates, a novel by Jessica Grose, is a cleverly told and witty story. Dana, the protagonist, has it all or so it seems. Divorced for two years and trying to move on she unexpectedly learns her ex-husband, Ethan, and the woman he left her for were found dead in a New Mexico cave. Unable to accept that Ethan may have had a part in their deaths, Dana tries to find out what really happened to the couple. She enters Ethan's former world in order to find answers. What she uncovers changes her life in ways she could not have predicted. This is a fascinating and engrossing story. It is filled with surprises and twists and turns. Definitely worth reading. Highly recommended.I received a complimentary copy of this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[pomo58 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Soulmates, from Jessica Grose, is a novel that I enjoyed but at the same time was disappointed. Unlike some, I wasn't bothered by the ending (it was certainly a possibility from information given early in the book so was not out of the blue) and I did notice the differences in the voices of the characters which some readers missed (though they could have been made more distinct to make sure more readers caught the nuances) and I wasn't particularly annoyed at the idea that many might see this as a slam on all eastern-influenced practices since there were ample examples of them being helpful as well as part of someone's attempts at manipulation. What I found less compelling was the way things just sorta stumbled along and maybe a couple of unlikely events at just the right time to keep the plot moving rather than stalling out.The mystery is indeed a mystery and there is closure for that part of the story. Character development, namely of the protagonist Dana, seems rather quick for someone who had been so driven but, that said, the indications were all presented throughout the novel in doubts and thoughts she had, so I don't think it was out of the realm of possibility, just not necessarily into the area of probability.The idea that a spiritual system, or more accurately a mixtures of systems rolled into one, that teaches the unity of mind, body, and spirit could be misappropriated by a charismatic leader for his personal pleasure and gain is not a condemnation of those systems as such. Any more than acknowledging that aspects of any religion, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, can and have been misappropriated for harm necessarily means those religions have no good in them. They are tools, just as the various practices in the "New Age" retreat here are tools when used properly.I would recommend this but not without reservations. There are not a lot of big surprises and the path Dana follows from beginning to end can seem a little too lucky (plot-wise, not necessarily for her herself, but maybe that too). If you don't care for too many coincidences you may find this too unlikely for your taste. There are some wonderful insights about how two people can experience the same events, yet they are not expressed particularly elegantly, so that could be a hit or miss for you. I tend to make a concerted effort to see as many positives in a book as I can even if I also see weaknesses. Perhaps from years of grading papers and finding helpful comments rather than the petulant "I couldn't even finish..." type of empty comments. If you lean toward looking for negatives rather than looking for positives, you might want to skip this one, there are weaknesses that a narrow reading can focus on to the detriment of both the book as a whole and the reader's potential enjoyment.Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

[bobbieharv · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Hard to believe Lena Dunham actually read this "deeply compelling, funny, and sharply observed" book. The only thing that carried this shallow, uncompelling, unfunny, and superficially-written book was the plot, which kept me reading instead of throwing it across the room. And even the plot fell apart in the end [spoilers]: Ethan and Amaya died just as the newspaper reported it; and Dana inexplicably subsumes herself into the cult (guess it was the ayahuasca).Rewrite it, I would have said if I were Dunham. And please leave out all the horribly written chapters about Ethan. Take us into the psychology of cult members and their leaders, and write a book about Dana's transformation from lawyer to a lost cause.

[bgnbrooks-1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

After reading this book I'm somehow simultaneously bewildered, angry, annoyed, and frustrated. Dana is a lawyer who works 90 hours a week to support herself and her husband Ethan, who is doing a good job of not having a job. He's a creative type, waiting for inspiration by playing video games and watching Law & Order re-runs. This causes major resentment on her part and their marriage becomes tense but Dana doesn't think of it as more than just a rough patch. Evidently, Ethan disagreed. He leaves her for his yoga partner Amaya, who "understands him". And you know, "encourages his spiritual growth". And also sleeps with him. He leaves Dana a note and never contacts her again. Two years later, she finds a picture of him and Amaya in the newspaper. They were found dead in a cave not far from the ashram in New Mexico they ran off to. This brings up a lot of unresolved feelings for Dana as she never really got any closure. The sheriff in New Mexico wants to meet up with her and she decides that if she goes to see him, she can also check into the resort/ashram and maybe find out what happened to Ethan and Amaya. She doesn't really buy into anything that is practiced at the ashram but finds a pamphlet there that Ethan wrote about this experience finding himself and leaving Dana for Amaya. This gives her insight into his side of the story and leads her to discover things she never knew about him. There is a whodunit vein running throughout the book or at least a "whathehellhappened" kind of thing but the ending left me feeling empty and annoyed that I spent hours reading this book.Honestly, I don't think I have anything positive to say about this book. Dana spends 85% of the book as one person and the last 15% as someone completely different. There is no explanation for her transformation and even if there was, I still don't think I'd buy it. It was a complete 180-degree change that was just utterly unbelievable. I had a lot of sympathy for Dana throughout the entire book. Then the ending just obliterated all of it.I didn't even enjoy the writing. The sections that are written from Ethan's point of view as a pamphlet read like a badly written diary entry. He is basically whining about how mean Dana is to him and how that justified his affair and abandonment. He can't believe that when he tells his brother that he made out (what grown man calls kissing "making out") with Amaya (while married to Dana) his brother becomes angry and disappointed in him. What did he expect, a pat on the back? Permission because Dana is grouchy from working 90 hours a week? I hated that Ethan was made into such a terrible person that I didn't care that he was murdered. Or Amaya. I felt like that should have been the point of the book. He never came off as a sympathetic character. This was just a truly underwhelming read that left me feeling cheated. I do not recommend. *I received an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[deldevries · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a well paced and interesting novel. Quirky characters and plot but those make it interesting. Definitely a good summer read. Read and Reviewed after receiving a complimentary copy as part of LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

[bbofje · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received a copy of Soulmates by Jessica Grose through The LirbraryThing Early Reviewers program. I enjoyed this story that involves a new-age guru. Although a work of fiction, it's apparent the author researched the subject well.At times funny and also sad, a fun read.

[marlane-7 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is not a mystery or a thriller and really not very humorous. The only thing true to its marketing hype is the New Age and yoga theme. The story line is ridiculously far-fetched. However, the one thing the author does well is capture the psychology of cults and the follows who are caught in their net. If the author had focused on this rather than attempting to make her book a page-turner mystery, it may have been worth reading.

[emscape · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I could not put this down. I read it in one day on the 4th of July when I was supposed to be preparing to entertain and then entertaining guests. My SO was super irritated, but I just couldn't help it.Dana's husband Ethan left about a year ago with his yoga instructor, Amaya, and Dana has been having a very difficult time getting over it. When she finds out the couple was found dead in a New Mexico cave and that murder-suicide is suspected, she involves herself in the case...with dangerous consequences.Grose has certainly done her research on "new age" cults and yogic practice. The language of the "guru" and his "followers" is very engaging. You can see how someone who is vulnerable and feels ignored can get sucked in by someone looking them in the eyes and making them feel special, accomplished and talented. I found myself screaming at the characters, like 'How can you possibly be falling for this?'.... I did find it rather convenient that Dana's search for answers about why her husband left led straight to a little book Ethan wrote for his spiritual retreat library about exactly what happened and how he felt during the last few months of their relationship. It's an effective device for presenting the POV of a character who is dead to begin with, but again, just seemed a little too convenient. The other device employed, and I'm not sure it was necessary, was a couple of chapters from the POV of two minor characters that seem to be a one-sided conversation with Dana. I don't know why that couldn't have just been written as dialogue, particularly since there were a few times when the narrator paraphrased a question asked by Dana and then responded. Oh, well. It mostly worked, I just thought it an odd choice stylistically. Those nit-picks aside, I really enjoyed the book and like I said, couldn't put it down. This would probably also be a really great selection for a book club as members would not have a hard time whipping through it and there is lots to talk about regarding Eastern religions and the sometimes cult-y aspects of some new-age practices.Four stars because I disliked the ending and didn't think it was in-character.

[mootzymom · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book took me for a serious ride. I found myself rushing through the pages to learn the truth about Ethan and what I discovered at the end was far more disturbing then I could imagine.

[erinclark_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this novel and tore through it a day. As far fetched as this situation could be I can see it happening to a person with the right mind set. The main character Dana has been jilted by he ex husband for a yoga instructor. Her abandonment issues have never been resolved and when she finds that he has been found dead with his lover in a cave in New Mexico she is determined to find out what really happened. Interesting page turner and informative as to why people become "followers" of a sort. Highly recommended.

[phoenixcomet · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

What do you say about a novel that is well written and moves quickly, but that you totally hate the plot of? Dana Morrison Powell has been dumped by her husband for Amara Walters, acolyte of yoga guru and cult leader Yoni. When Ethan and Amara turn up dead, Dana heads to New Mexico and the Zuni retreat house to get to the bottom of their deaths. Instead, she gets more and more sucked into the world of Yoni, aka John Brooks, aka Aries, charismatic leader of Zuni and the Homestead.An interesting twist in the end, but overall I hated this book. Perhaps because I am a yoga instructor and a Reiki Master and I hate categorizations like this one that all people who are spiritual are somehow not connected to the real world.

[jcgirl-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Soulmates by Jessica Grose tells the story of Dana that finds out her estranged husband has been found dead with the girl he left Dana for in a cave in New Mexico. And so begins Dana's investigate into his death and their marriage. Soulmates become one of those books you can't put the book down the minute you pick it up; it flowed smoothly as the story unfolded. I am waiting with bated breath for the next novel by Jessica Grose.

[mossagate · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I got this as part of LibraryThing Early Reviewers. This one.. while readable enough that I finished it, took me quite awhile as it was only interesting enough to keep me going. The ending was out of left field and disappointing.

[randall6hansen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Kind of a strange, but strangely entertaining novel about love, life, understanding, yoga, and cults... or something like that. It is a story about a busy professional woman (a lawyer) who learns her former husband (who ran off on her, leaving just a note) has died... and her quest to uncover the truth about his death... and all the strange happenings that ensue. Not laugh-out-funny as some have said, and it might help to read it in an altered state, but as I mentioned... entertaining for sure.

[niaomiya · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Well, this book had a lot of potential and an interesting premise. Dana Morrison is doing fine after her husband Ethan left her for another woman two years ago. Then Dana sees a newspaper headline with a photo of Ethan and his paramour: "Nama-Slay: Yoga Couple Found Dead in New Mexico Cave." That's when Dana realizes she actually hasn't gotten over Ethan. She resolves to find out what happened to him and in the process finds herself exploring Ethan's world of new-age yoga and mysticism.The plot of finding out what happened to Ethan is actually secondary to the main plot of Dana's discovering herself. And this is the major disappointment. I read this book with the expectation of reading a mystery novel. It's not a mystery novel. Although there is a mystery (Ethan's death), and the mystery is solved in the end (in a most unsatisfactory way), this is not a mystery novel. The majority of the novel revolves around Dana's exploration of new-age spirituality, and the book goes into great detail about her experiences. Admittedly, author Jessica Grose's descriptions are bitingly funny in their acerbic lampooning of new-age culture, but these descriptions are the gist of this book.Maybe if my initial expectations had been properly set, I would have enjoyed this book more. Don't read this book expecting a mystery because you'll be greatly disappointed.

[txwildflower_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When a woman named Dana reads in the paper that her ex husband and girlfriend have been found dead in a cave and that they are ruling murder/suicide she has to find out what really happened. She knows her ex could not murder anyone so she goes to the yoga encampment in New Mexico to find out things for herself. She becomes friends with Lo, an older woman there and hopes to find answers. The ending was not as I expected but I shouldn't have been surprised

[bill_11 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Soulmates sounded like an interesting premise, a new-age murder mystery with a touch of humor. The story progresses as expected with Dana, the ambitious attorney, discovering what was good and wrong with her marriage to Ethan. Could Ethan be capable of murdering his new-age lover? Was the breakup all her fault? And what role does the yogi play in their story? I thought I followed the story in all its nuances until the end and that left me somewhat disturbed and confused. Otherwise, it was an okay read and worth the effort.

[bonitajean · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thank you Librarything for the opportunity to review Soulmates by Jessica Grose. This story had quite a few twists and turns which I would rather the next reader of this book finds out. It seems Dana, the main character, did a lot of soul searching after finding out her husband was involved in a murder suicide with the women he left her for. The story itself was informational on new age yogi. Dana wanted to clear her husbands name from murder so she entered the retreat where her husband was staying. Once there, she became involved with the teachings of yogi and the guru who was leader. Basically it was a yogi cult if there is such a thing. She finds out many many secrets about her husband from his dad and a book she finds Ethan - now called Kia had written while at the retreat. Some of the information she reads makes her look at herself in a new light. There where times when I thought I knew what was going to happen, and then within the next few pages I was wrong. These are the types of books I enjoy, what you see is not what you get. Again, thank you Libarything...

[coker74 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The storyline for Soulmates caught my eye right away. That plus the book is under 300 pages makes a good day or two reading. After some nonfiction, the book seemed to be a good pick. The book started out like I kind of expected and kept my attention and curiosity through the first half, maybe two-thirds. But near the end and the ending, I felt like something was missing. Like I got cheated on a complete story. As with all books the beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some folks will love the book while others will not. I was left sitting on the fence as far as my feelings for the story.

[rglossne · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Dana is heading to work as an overworked associate in a New York law firm when she sees a tabloid headline that her ex-husband and the woman he left her for were found dead in a cave. They were yoga instructors in a swanky retreat in the Southwest, led by a charismatic yogi named Yoni. The local sheriff thinks it's a murder-suicide, but that doesn't seem right to Dana, so she flies off for some yoga, self-discovery, and sleuthing. There were some things I liked a lot about this book: the alternating voices, the uncovering of the past connections and misdeeds of the characters, the exploration of how people come under the influence of a guru like Yoni, and Dana's unexpected transformation. It was fun to read, although flimsy due to shallow character development and not-quite-credible premise.

[fanoftheoffice · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The description of this book makes it seem like the main character is trying to figure out a murder, but that's really not what the book is about. The story is more a tale of a charismatic cult leader and how he finds and coerces his followers. It was an interesting read and kept me engaged even when I realized that the book was not what I thought it was going to be.

[jim53_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dana Powell is a highly motivated young lawyer, working crazy hours in an attempt to make partner at her NY firm. Two years ago, her less-driven husband, Ethan, left her for a yoga instructor whom he met at work. Now Dana is stunned by a newspaper headline that describes the deaths of the young couple in the southwest desert as a possible murder-suicide.Dana contacts the local sheriff to see what he can tell her, which is very little. Ethan and Amaya had been instructors at a high-toned new-age spiritual center in the desert. Dana decides to book a few days at the center so she can do a bit of digging. She doesn't believe Ethan would be capable of killing. We realize that Dana isn't really over Ethan.When Dana visits the center, she expects to do a little yoga and a lot of investigating. There are some funny moments as she sizes up the other participants. To her surprise, however, Dana finds herself receiving some real benefits from her participation. She finds herself questioning the importance of her goals in the law and wondering about who she really is. Scared and intrigued by her experience, and dissatisfied with her inability to find out what happened to Ethan, Dana returns to New York. She finds that she has trouble focusing on her cases and assignments at work, and resolves to investigate further. Strange and complicated connections among people abound. When she receives an invitation to return to the center for deeper work, she cannot resist. As she learns more about the story, the center, and herself, she moves toward a denouement that neither she not we expect.Dana is an interesting, of not entirely likeable character. None of the other characters are particularly well developed; the best is probably Ethan's father. The revelation of the web of connections among several characters was handled pretty well, but it was also pretty predictable. The style is competent but not a real strength of the book. It was often not clear whether Groce was being funny, sarcastic, or earnest; like Dana, she appeared not quite sure what to make of some situations.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The scary thing about this novel is how reasonable the crazy begins to look. Although the novel is told mostly from Dana's point of view, there are these glimpses of how others see her, which call into question just who she really is. The ending was chilling.

[rebeccah279 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I wanted "Soulmates" by Jessica Grose to be good. I really did. The plot had so much potential. Dana's ex-husband, who left her for a yoga instructor, turns up dead, a suspect of a murder suicide. Having never truly gotten over Ethan, and believing that he would never be able to commit such an act, Dana decides to investigate what really happened in that cave in New Mexico. The book starts off as a page turning "whodunit?" but after a plot twist about 2/3 of the way through, kind of peters out. The ending felt rushed, almost like the author got tired of the story and decided to just end it. If you're looking for a quick, easy beach read, this book fits the bill. But if you're looking for a deeper, thought-provoking thriller, this isn't the book for you.

[oregonreader · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Soulmates begins as the autopsy of a failed marriage. The novel alternates between the description of the marriage as told by Dana, the wife, whose husband Ethan leaves her for another woman, and Ethan's view of the marriage The author does an excellent job of describing how each saw the same events through different filters. Several years after the split, Dana reads that Ethan is suspected of murder-suicide. She is determined to clear his name and travels to a New Age, pseudo-Yoga Institute where he was living. Grose's descriptions of the activities and people there are very funny and are written like satire. But then the story takes a darker turn. I found the twists and turns of the last part of the book to be unbelievable and disappointing. But that said, I really enjoyed most of the book and Grose's writing skills are very good.

[abitbookish · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The temptation to label Soulmates a satire is strong. I'm hesitant to hang that particular epithet to this novel, and it's disconcerting. I sense it wants that misnomer. The beginning of this story was intriguing. A faithful, hardworking girl who finds out her husband has "evolved", to her dismay with a thinner bank account. All because of his "enlightenment". I could root for this character. Even when she put her life on hold to understand more of what happened to him, I was with her. It went off the rails for me, when the story began to delve more into the underbelly of the why. The examination of that underbelly darkened my sympathy for her. It left me unmotivated in the story itself. This is certainly not my kind of book. It's gross, and dark, and slimey. I hated it.

[tabrowne · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. On the positive side, it drew me in immediately. I wanted to know what happened and the storyline was different and interesting enough to keep me reading. It was rainy yesterday, so I read the entire book over the course of a day. Communes, yoga and charismatic leaders lead to a book that is interesting and seductive.For me, while I was reading I was thinking how much I liked this book. That is important because I didn't really like the main character and felt like she really wasn't portrayed from a positive lens. It was hard to be sympathetic to her. Although some of her harshness towards her husband was justified and he was obviously just a grown child. She was harsh to everyone around her.That isn't what made me only kind of like the book. My problem is the ending. Frankly, I don't buy it. It doesn't make sense with my perception of Dana and her personality. It was a surprise ending, completely unpredictable.On that same note, I'd love to get my book club to read it as I really want to see if they feel the same about the ending so maybe in that sense the book is successful and worth a read.If you can live with not liking the ending (actually you could probably skip the last part labeled One Year Later and be happier with the book) then the book is engaging and well written. It was refreshingly without constant swear words,. IMO this lazy way of writing has wrongly taken over most books being released. There is definitely sexual references, some fairly graphic, but less than I've seen in other recently released books.I was given a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[renz0808 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received Soulmates: A Novel by Jessica Grose as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. I was really intrigued with the premise of this novel. It is about a young woman Dana who discovers that her ex-husband and his the woman he left her for are found dead and the police think that it was a murder-suicide. Dana believes that her ex-husband could never have done something like this so she decides to sleuth around into this new life. I found this book really interesting and very funny. The story moves quickly and the pacing was good. The only issue I have with it was I felt it was rushed towards the end and Dana's character could have been better evolved.