This story brought back so many memories of the “time before”, the time before cell phones, texting, social media, and all of that! The title of the book refers to the ability to go places without everyone knowing where you’re going, much easier than it is nowadays. The setting is 1996 and features a young couple, Duncan and Gina. The story opens with them traveling in Europe, where Gina is recovering from a head injury. Gradually we get their backstories. Duncan appears to be gaslighting Gina and the secrets keep mounting. The chapters alternate between Duncan’s point of view and Gina’s, which was a very effective technique, because you really got into the thoughts of each character that way.

The descriptions of the cities they visit in Europe brought back wonderful memories (even though there were some places I haven’t been to). I was totally immersed in the story, even as I found neither of the main characters particularly likable.

Readers of psychological fiction will love this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This won't be my favorite thriller of the year, but it kept me turning pages and the ending hit very well. I love thrillers set in the pre cell phone times; it makes solving the puzzle all the more fun!

A haunting novel full of mystery.Gina and Duncan a young married couple on a European tour.Gina had recently suffered a fall a brain injury and lost some of her memory.All seems well but suddenly doubts seem to creep in something feels wrong an underlying feeling.A book that kept me turning the pages trying to figure out their true story.#netgalley #simon&schuster

Gina and Duncan meet in college, fall in love and get married. She is a dancer and he is a music composer. A few years after marrying, they finally save the money to take the European honeymoon of their dreams. While in Berlin, Gina has a terrible fall and loses her recent memories. As they travel to other countries, some memories return, and Gina begins to question what is real.

This book had so much potential. Suspenseful, unique and creative, I couldn’t put it down, until I hit the halfway point. Not to spoil it, but there is a twist that I felt coming, but thought it would be presented much later in the book. I felt let down and disappointed after that point, and the story never picked up or interested me again.

I enjoyed the storytelling a lot in this book, it was a slow build of tension that really held my interest. I also enjoyed the descriptions of different locals they visited.

We've all read books where someone has an accident and wakes up with amnesia. The person closest to them is usually hiding something and the mystery slowly unravels. While The End of Getting Lost can be summarized similarly, so much was different.

The time period was spot on - it felt so modern until you realized how isolating not having a cell phone really made people back in the 1990s. There were so many references to landlines, home answering machines, answering services, and snail mail that I was ashamed to say this really did read like a historical fiction in some ways!

You know right away something is amiss when Gina wakes from a terrible accident and has blacked out the last year of her life. I loved that this wasn't overplayed and secrets were revealed fairly quickly, allowing the plot to build on more than just mysteries and lies.

The dual narration was well done and I loved the travel aspects. There were some twists I started to suspect but really loved how they played out.

For a familiar storyline, this one was well done and unique. If you enjoy a book with a bit of suspense and mystery, some amazing travel, and is a pretty quick read, I definitely recommend.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for a copy of this novel.

To be published on my blog on 3/2.

This book definitely kept me guessing. I couldn't figure out who the bad guy was. The clues continued to point in a different direction. Gina and her husband, Duncan have been traveling through Europe when she is in an accident and loses pieces of her memory from the past year. Or is that the case? Almost instantly, the reader finds Duncan to be suspicious. Then other clues present themselves that have you questioning everything.

The author does a nice job of revealing the past a little bit at a time. As each little piece is added to the puzzle, more questions surface and the story is murkier.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a page turner for me because I was determined to uncover the truth of the story. I did want a little more from the end even though it did have a nice little twist to it.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

So call me a cynic maybe but I smelled something off with dear Duncan in the first few pages. No man is that sweet and loving without a catch. There is a certain Fifty First Dates vibe with this story. Of course, this story has a more sinister vibe. Duncan and Gina come off as a couple madly in love. On an extended honeymoon, Duncan and Gina are traversing across Europe. While they are on their European getaway, Gina suffers a traumatic brain injury that she seems to recover from fairly well, except for some lingering memory loss that seems to have taken out many of the memories Gina had from the last year or so. Ever the dutiful husband, Duncan is there for her in any way he can be. Of course, no relationship is perfect and this one isn’t without its secrets. By the end, I was asking myself who was the crazier one in the relationship? They are in a stiff competition. This was a fun if somewhat disturbing read. The authors background in psychology definitely comes through. Lots of twists that keep things interesting. Review posted to Goodreads, Instagram, Facebook, Litsy, LibraryThing and Amazon.

Gina and Duncan are a newlywed couple on a belated honeymoon touring Europe. Gina is recovering her memories after an accident. The reader soon suspects that Duncan is hiding something from Gina. What can it be? How will Gina respond if the truth is revealed? The answers lie in the new domestic psychological thriller, The End of Getting Lost.

This book works great as a way to visit European cities from your couch. The descriptions are lushly detailed. It made me hungry to travel again after two years of unpredictable COVID restrictions.

Unfortunately, The End of Getting Lost doesn’t work as well as a thriller. The plot has been done many times before. The twist was obvious when it occurred. Overall, it was a miss for me. 3 stars.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

After suffering a head injury while traveling in Europe, Gina can't remember what has happened over the past year and her husband from whom she is separated takes advantage of this to let her thing all is well in their marriage. The difficulty of course is trying to prevent friends and family from letting her know the truth.

The book skipped around from present to past, and from Gina to Duncan. At times it felt rushed--particularly the present, but other times slow. I didn't like how the resolution was overly explained.

Ok, here is where I admit that I giggled at the end of this. It was not the reaction I should have had, but I laughed. This is one where you want to say to the characters, "Can I recommend a good therapist?" This is a tough book to explain as it is mostly a character-driven look into obsession, but there are aspects of a thriller here. However, do not pick this up expecting the quick pace of a thriller. We are studying characters here and be forewarned, these characters are full of absolute nonsense.

I don't know how to rate this one really. I think personally it is probably a 2 1/2 star read. I did not really enjoy my reading of this and, when I did, it was because I was ironically laughing at how ridiculous the characters were. It gave me a good laugh, but I don't think it was intended to do so. This is one I low-key wish I could have read with others in a buddy read or with a book club, because I would be so interested to see what other think about it. So, I guess in that sense I do recommend it as a read because I do think there is a lot to talk about with this one.

Honestly though, it was a miss for me. I understand what it was trying to do, but something about the execution of it just did not quite land and strayed too far into being ironically comical. It did absolutely have my curiosity though and there is that. If nothing else, this is an interesting read.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for letting me read this book and be absolutely honest about it.

I love the premise of amnesia and the characters keeping secrets from each other. I didn’t know who to trust and what was real!

This story follows Duncan, a composer, and Gina, a dancer, as they travel through Europe on a belated honeymoon. Unfortunately, Gina suffered a fall and now has amnesia and doesn’t know what’s happened in the past year. It’s set in 1996 so there’s no technology abs they’re not so easy to find. It ends in Rome with a seemingly happy ending.

I didn’t dislike this book but I didn’t love it either. From the very beginning, we’re told it’s 1996, when everything’s cut off from technology like it’s supposed to be a big point in the book. It’s not and I felt it was unnecessary to make it a big focus. Next, the third person writing didn’t quite work for me. I don’t normally mind it, but there were alternating POV’s and timelines that made it feel disjointed.

I felt no connection to the characters because they weren’t likeable at all. I think that was the point so I didn’t mind too much haha. The ending felt anticlimactic and unfinished. This would be a book I’d recommend borrowing from the library and giving a try!

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy.

I didn’t really care for the characters in this story but maybe we weren’t meant to. It was a different time, before cell phones, a time when you could truly escape. The slow build and the surprise ending made this a great read.
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The End of Getting Lost is a slightly turbulent ride through Duncan and Gina’s relationship in the mid 90s. There are no cell phones or technology to be attached to or traced by. There are voicemails to call into to listen to messages at home and travel agents to go to when one needs to purchase tickets to travel. This is a dual point of view narrative of what happens when Duncan and Gina are on holiday in Europe after Gina suffers mild amnesia after a fall. While I did figure out most of the twist early on, how the ending played out both surprised me and disappointed me as I felt it was a bit rushed and wanted more. Without spoilers, it is hard to describe specifically but I thought there were a few people who should have fought harder for the couple, and a few side stories that I wished were tied up a bit better.

Overall an interesting read that I would recommend to people who don’t read a lot of thrillers as this one was a bit different than lots of others I have read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion!

Eh … I couldn’t get very far in this one, it just didn’t hold my attention. I believe it’s because I didn’t enjoy the writing style. Maybe next time!

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

The End of Getting Lost by Robin Kirman is a suspense novel set in the mid-1990s. The description of the story reminded me a little of Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson. I loved that edge-of-your-seat thriller and was hoping for another nailbiter.

The story opens with Gina and Duncan in Switzerland where Gina has been recovering from a brain injury. Through flashbacks, we learn that she had an accident in Berlin and Duncan had used her memory loss as an opportunity to win her back. Gina doesn't remember the past year or her estrangement from Duncan. The story moves back and forth from present to past as we learn about them meeting in college and Gina growing suspicious as they travel to Vienna, Prague, and finally to Rome.

While suspenseful, I was not on the edge of my seat or furiously turning pages. The story lacked a true sinister vibe that would have elevated it to a heart-pounding thriller. I felt sorry for Duncan. I felt he was obsessed and possibly delusional, but I didn't feel he was evil.

The pace of the story was slower than I expected as well. While the back and forth timeline with its bread crumb trail is a common trope in psychological thrillers, I felt the story meandered more than is typical for a thriller. Even when the truth is closing in on them, there wasn't an overly urgent feeling to the story. I did want to know how things ended for them, which is what kept me reading. The ending isn't a tidy one and I'm left with questions.

I'm not sure how much I liked the characters. I think I mostly felt sorry for them. They both seemed to be trying to be people that maybe they truly weren't - all in the name of love.

If you are looking for a suspense-filled story where nothing is what it seems and the story unfolds slowly, then this is the book for you.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Friday, Feb, 18 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2022/02/the-end-of-getting-lost-by-robin-kirman.html

I'm a real sucker for amnesia stories, so this one appealed to me from the very start! The book opens in the mid-1990s with a young couple, both in their mid-twenties, apparently on a belated European honeymoon. While in Berlin, Gina falls and suffers a head injury resulting in some memory loss. Her husband, Duncan, seems desperately worried - immediately whisking her off to a Swiss clinic. The story unfurls from both of their perspectives - including their current trip as well as flashbacks to the past from when the pair first met at Yale in a romance that seemed almost fated. Gina, a dancer, finds herself to be the muse of composer Duncan. Soon it's clear that this relationship isn't quite what it seems to be at first...

It's a quick read and while the characters do come to life, they aren't always terribly sympathetic... Plus, I had hoped for a bit more from the 1990s setting. The author rather clumsily explains some of the technology (like how an answering service works) to modern readers which pulls the reader right out of the action. I just wanted more embracing of the time period than a lack of cell phones and no Euro (nary a mention of a traveler's check or the hassle of changing currencies!). The conclusion also leaves some big secrets between them that make it a bit unsatisfying in the end. Still, it keeps your attention and isn't overly drawn out.

Duncan and Gina meet in college. She a dancer and he a music composer. An unlikely duo, she is outgoing and he's an introvert but they seem to make their relationship work much to the dismay of their friends and family around them.

While traveling around Europe, Gina takes a terrible fall and has a head injury in which she losses her memory of the last year. Thankfully Duncan is there by her side to guide her through the rest of their belated honeymoon.

As time goes by Gina begins to see snippets of memories that don't make any sense. Did she really have a falling out with her Dad? Did her and her best friend Violet really stop talking to one another? And why is the name Graham right on the tip of her tongue?

All these questions and more will be answered.

This story sure had all the ingredients I crave in a book but I think some of the ingredients were past their due date because this book was bland, bland, bland! It took me forever to finish this slim book under 300 pages. First of all the pacing was far too slow for me. This story moved at a snails pace. Also, I didn't care about either Gina or Duncan. I couldn't muster any interest into their plight. While I was mildly enjoying the current storyline (1996) I had no interest in the past storyline which was essential in filling the details but it was just so ... boring. Now I will give credit where credit is due and say the ending did surprise me. I was not expecting that revelation to be made but was it enough to redeem the book? It's enough for me to add a star but not enough for me to rave about this with friends. Ultimately this book was a big dollop of mediocrity. 3 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my complimentary copy.

The End of Getting Lost by Robin Kirman although I found it to be a well written book, it was one that was hard for me to connect with the characters. If I don't connect, I don't actually get all those emotions I need to make a book a 5-star book for me. The different cities and settings in the book were interesting in my opinion. Even when a book isn't a huge hit with me, I always suggest others read it because not everyone enjoys and looks for the same thing in a book.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Simon and Shuster, the opinions expressed here are my own.

The story starts in 1996 with a couple, Duncan and Gina traveling through Europe on a belated honeymoon when Gina has an accident that causes her to suffer temporary amnesia. She can't remember the last year of her life. But they decide to continue their trip regardless. But as time goes on, Gina can't decide why Duncan is so nervous, why he insists she became distant with her friends and father, why her wedding ring feels so loose. The story jumps between Gina and Duncan, their pasts from how they met until the present, and as the story unravels, you see that Duncan isn't the only one keeping secrets.
I loved to see how the two met through music and dance and how Gina became the inspiration for his best work. He uses the amnesia as a way to bring her back to him and become closer in their marriage. I can't believe all the controlling and opinionated family and friends on both sides trying to separate the two from the beginning of their relationship. I did enjoy the descriptions of the locations they visited throughout Europe.
I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.