Gina Reinhold is a young dancer who is unable to recall the last year of her life due to a head injury on her honeymoon. The year is 1996-no phones, status updates, or location sharing. Gina and her husband, Duncan Lowy, are a young artistic couple traveling Europe together and falling even more madly in love. Gina’s memories are hazy, but as they begin to resurface, she realizes that her only companion on the continent may be hiding something.
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𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒: I liked this book, but I can’t say I loved it. The amnesia trope was so interesting and very well done! This was my first time reading a book like this. It wasn’t incredibly difficult to figure out the plot, but difficult enough to keep my interest. The setting was lovely and I enjoyed picturing all the different European countries. As far as what I didn’t like, none of the characters were likable and they did such terrible things to each other. Which I’m sure is the whole point but for some reason it just didn’t sit well with me this time. And if you know me, if there’s a serial killer then sign me up because I’m all about the crazy and twisted. But I think what honestly bothered me was all the constant lying from both sides, it just got kind of old. The only other thing I didn’t like was how some of the flashbacks seemed to drag on and take time away from the immediate story. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my gifted E-ARC!

**Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Robin Kirman for an ARC of this book!**

"There was something freeing in forgetting, she'd discovered, as if all these tiny accretions were like layers of clothing that kept you from feeling the air, the night, the life that was cloaked around you."

Remember a time when you could easily go off the grid...without a second thought? No out of office on a work email, no remembering to turn off notifications, mute a cell phone, or disable a smart watch? A time when you could take an impromptu trip to Europe, where you could explore a romance that seemed to be the perfect fairy-tale, WITHOUT the interruptions of the outside world?

Gina and Duncan have found this tiny piece of bliss, locked in 1996. But is this the tale of a power couple...or simply a power play?

Gina's the dancer. Graceful, elegant, enchanting. Duncan's a composer, who has Gina as his muse, is taking Gina on such a trip---but she may be a bit too woozy to fully remember it. After suffering a brain injury after a fall, bits of Gina's memory have evaporated. Still, everything FEELS right...doesn't it? After all, the man of her dreams wouldn't dare to hold anything back...or keep the past purposely obscured...or would he? As they trek across Europe, Gina pieces little bits of the past together, and Duncan's sly game of cat and mouse becomes more and more apparent. as players from both their pasts enter the fray. Will Gina recover enough to figure out where her happily ever after lies...and WHY on earth did she almost call Duncan by the wrong name?

This book starts with a whisper, as Kirman grabs the reader and thrusts them into 1996 Europe, with all of the charm and lovely atmosphere you'd expect to find. Even though I've never been to Europe myself as of yet (*heavy, dramatic sigh*) I feel I have a pretty good sense of what it feels like through TV and film, and ALL of that was easy to grasp. Although the 'missing memory' trope seems done to death at this point in time, I quickly got caught up in the mystery surrounding Gina's past, present, and future, and the beginning of the book in particular grabbed my attention completely.

Towards the middle, however, things stalled a bit, and I feel a rather big reveal happened too early in the timeline. Once this information was revealed to the reader, it left the book in a sort of limbo, where events sort of plodded along until the conclusion. This book also has VERY uneven chapters, with some that are drastically short and others that dragged on for far too long. I don't mind long chapters in literary fiction, especially if they fuel the fire of the narrative, but in this case, every one was unnecessary. This is a dramatic suspense moreso than literary fiction, so I think a bit of pacing could have helped drive the second half.

My favorite aspect of this book and one I kept coming back to was how much it reminded me of The Talented Mr. Ripley--and that was before I knew the book had actually been compared to Patricia Highsmith! I haven't read the source material yet, but the film gave me a strong sense of what I'd find there, and I'm not sure if it was some of the similar locations or just the general vibes, but I could hear some of those music cues from the film in my mind...and I absolutely loved it!

Although the ending felt a little ambiguous and not as fresh as I'd hoped, the push-and-pull between Gina and Duncan is certainly enough to keep you turning pages, and I am always game for the following:

*an excuse to go back to the 90's (mentally)
*incentive to gawk at Italy on screen in The Talented Mr. Ripley

and of course, vicariously live the lives of a composer AND a ballet dancer, all in the same day. Not bad for a day's work!

3.5 stars

Really interesting premise. It takes a while before the reader realizes what is going on and what the true relationship is between the 2 primary characters. It will definitely keep you guessing how it will end.

Gina and Duncan are on a belated honeymoon in Europe, and while in Berlin, Gina suffers from a fall that leaves her with a gap in her memory. As musical composer Duncan sweeps dancer Gina from city to city, it becomes increasingly unsettling as to why he keeps her from all those close to her. What is Duncan hiding? And what can’t Gina remember?

While I enjoyed the dual point of view, the plotline was not as engaging as I’d have liked. I found myself struggling to like either character and their dysfunctional marriage was rough to navigate. I felt let down by the ending but enjoyed the writing and atmospheric settings the author used. It was fun to go off the grid, so to speak, with the 1996 setting.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and Robin Kirman for an advance copy of this book.

From my blog: Always With a Book

There are certain tropes within the psychological suspense genre that I cannot seem to get enough of and one is most definitely the amnesia trope. I love a good memory loss story and this one may seem like all others but trust me when I say it most definitely is not.

I think what I loved most about this book is that the amnesia story is just part of what makes this story so good. Also woven into it is a deep dive into love and marriage and how things aren’t quite what they appear to be at surface level. This book gets takes a look at obsession and secrets and how at first glance you might think all is well and good, but once you crack that shell open, you see all the fault lines.

I loved that I really didn’t know what was going to happen next with these characters. Not only is the story told from both their perspectives, but it also moves back and forth in time, allowing us to really get a sense of who they are. It soon becomes apparent however that not all is as it seems because both Gina and Duncan are keeping secrets from the other and as the story progresses, there is this sense of dread that looms. The story unfolds slowly and keeps you captivated as you realize that neither Gina nor Duncan has the full story of all the different events.

This book has some twists I didn’t even see coming and that to me is always a good sign. While it’s a slow-burn, it does move quick and it keeps you engaged and thinking, which I always love. I definitely recommend this one.


Audio thoughts: I listened to this one and thought the narrators did a fantastic job! Michael David Axtell and Alex Allwine really brought their A-game to this narration, infusing just the right amount of tension and manipulation into their voices as needed. I was so involved in this audio that I ended up listening to it in a day – I just couldn’t put it down!

I am not quite sure how I feel about this book. Gina and Duncan, married and definitely not good for each other. In fact they are highly dysfunctional. Gina has secrets, and Duncan has to be told what to do all the time. He has plenty of secrets too.

I am not sure what genre this is, but I would call it part mystery, part romance, part man hunt. At times this book was really good and then it would veer off course.

I enjoyed the dual POV but the whole book was not cohesive to me. The writer knows how to write, but I prefer to like at least one of the characters I am reading about and none in this book had any redeemable qualities. 3⭐

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 ⭐️‘s

Gina, a dancer and Duncan, a composer, are on a belated honeymoon in Europe. While in Berlin, Gina suffers a fall and comes away with a head injury and a big gap in her memory. As Duncan sweeps her from city to city and keeps her from contacting friends and family (it is 1996 and easier to stay off grid) we can’t help but ask if everything is as idyllic as it seems or are there secrets in their marriage? What is Duncan hiding? While this book did not have an original plot, the writing had me hooked quite early and kept me engrossed as the story progressed. Unfortunately, I was not a fan of how the story wrapped up and felt let down by the ending. Thank you to Center Point and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

The End of Getting Lost takes place in Europe, pre cell phone and pre documenting every move on social media. I really enjoyed the atmospheric descriptions of Europe.

Gina and Duncan have had a tumultuous marriage. They met in college and formed a strong bond. As they grow older, they are both giving their all to their professional careers and as a result, they find themselves drifting apart. Gina and Duncan travel abroad to Europe to reconnect, but as the weeks abroad fly by, each city brings to light more and more secrets each of them have been keeping from each other. Will their marriage ever recover?

This was a fast and engaging read, though I can't say I loved it. I think what I struggled with is that it was written as a psychological mystery, yet the "mystery" aspect was way too easy to figure out. When reading these types of books, I love to be shocked and surprised by the twists and revelations, but with this book, nothing came as a surprise to me.

I also found nearly all the characters unlikable, though I suppose they were supposed to be unlikable. And as twisted as Gina and Duncan's relationship was, they were actually good for each other in their own way.

What I did like was the pacing and the settings. The writing was good and the plot kept me turning pages, though a lot of that was because I was hoping for an unexpected twist that never came. I loved the travel element and the description of the different cities they stopped in. I also liked that it was set in 1996, as it was a reminder of how different things were before cell phones and social media. This same story would not have been plausible in 2022 without some major changes to the storyline. I think the choice of a timeline in the 1990's was a good choice that made the story a lot more interesting.

Thank you to go NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advance e-reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What’s it about (in a nutshell):
In The End of Getting Lost by Robin Kirman, Gina Reinhold and Duncan Lowy, an artistic couple spends an extended honeymoon traveling around Europe, visiting old and new sites. But it is quickly apparent that something is amiss, and Duncan is holding something back. Does true love require escaping from reality?

What I Enjoyed:
I loved the period the book takes place in - 1996—a time before cell phones and social media when a couple could travel to a remote corner of the world and disappear. Today, that’s barely possible unless you were to disconnect, but then that would send up red flags.

I also enjoyed the exploration of the complexities of marriage and how the layers are peeled back one at a time in Gina and Duncan’s relationship. In real life, marriage is not a “they met, fell in love, and lived happily ever after” story. Instead, it is full of struggles brought on by a combination of personalities, emotions, and scars from the past. Marriages, even the best, are messy at times, and that is explored in such an eye-opening manner in this story.

The suspense is seeded through the story starting very early, which held my attention firmly in the book. It is told through both Gina’s and Duncan’s perspectives in alternating chapters and goes back and forth in time from their childhoods, through their courtship, and ending with the present (1996). These stops provide the pieces the reader needs to understand what is happening and why.

Characters:
I can’t say that I liked the characters. You get to know Gina and Duncan pretty well, but I never reached that level where I could fully sympathize or relate. And the support characters do not have enough to their development to provide that kind of connection.

Gina is a dancer that performs internationally. She hit her head in an accident and can’t remember the last six months.

Duncan is a composer trying to make a name for himself in the music world.

They met at Yale and enjoy collaborating on dance productions more than anything else as a couple.

What I Wish:
I wish that there was more story leading up to the conclusion that is directly related to the end. I loved the ending, and I saw it coming from about halfway, but I was looking forward to the details being revealed. But they never were. The story just flew to the end, and I went back, sure that I missed those pieces that I was looking forward to reading.

To Read or Not to Read:
If you are looking for a suspenseful read that will envelop you with its atmospheric world and hold you in its grip with its thrilling plot, The End of Getting Lost is just what you are looking for.

When I first began this book I had no clue where it would lead me... Duncan is a shy isolated man who doesn’t know his true potential so when he meets Gina, a vibrant and confident young woman he can’t believe his eyes.

Duncan becomes a new version of himself, a person who chases after his dreams of crafting musical pieces while Gina dances a long side him. Gina reassures him that his dreams are possible and that he is exceptional.


One day Duncan finds himself in a difficult position when Gina has an accident that results in a loss of memory. Together they move around to different countries and in the background we see that everything may not be as it seems.

I enjoyed this book merely because I never truly knew what would happen next, throughout the book we are led on a journey of the past and what had led to the ever so fast paced future of Duncan and Gina.

I enjoyed the psychological manipulation on both parts, the end of getting lost is truly that because in the final moments of this book neither Duncan nor Gina are lost they instead have finally found their purpose, their blossoming future and each other.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and of course Robin Kirman for writing this intriguing and wonderful novel!

The End of Getting Lost by Robin Kirman
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Duncan and Gina are on a late honeymoon traversing Europe. While they were in Berlin Gina had an accident and suffered a memory lapse. She cannot remember any of the last year with her husband. Will her memories ever return? What happened in the last year?
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What I liked:
-This story is set in the 90’s so it was pretty wild to follow a tale with no cell phones, and needing to use landlines.
-I thought the memory loss plot was done well here.
-I was so tense and worried for Gina and Duncan throughout this book. I would find myself thinking about the story throughout the day when I wasn’t able to read it.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I don’t want to say more and spoil anything. I thought this was a really solid mystery/thriller and if that genre is your jam, then you should definitely check this story out! Thank you Netgalley for this digital copy to read. Pub date 2/15/22.

In the description The End of Getting Lost by Robin Kirman is called psychologically suspenseful and that would be a good term for this read. The story takes place in 1996 and is told by alternating the point of view between the characters.

Gina Reinhold and Duncan Lowy are madly in love and on their honeymoon traveling through Europe. All is not totally well for the couple as their honeymoon was delayed due to Gina suffering a head injury where she now finds herself lacking her memories from the past year. During the trip Gina begins to regain some flashes here and there and begins to distrust Duncan as things don’t see to add up.

The End of Getting Lost is one of those stories that for me there were some things I liked and others I didn’t. This one is a twisty read which I do enjoy a lot and I found myself liking that part of the ride. The characters however were not very likable for me and I had a hard time getting totally connected to them. On the whole though I thought this was an ok read for me but didn’t fall in love.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

3.5 stars

The End of Getting Lost by Robin Kirman is a dark love story with a measure of psychological suspense which adds some dramatic tension to the plot.
Told in alternating POVs of Gina, a modern dancer, and her husband Duncan, a classical composer, the story moves between the individual back stories of the couple (1971—1990) and their current love story set in 1996. The narrators and the secondary characters are all unreliable and their motivations are fraught with secrets and the lies they tell to themselves and to others. They are insecure and their love feels obsessive, not really attractive to this reader.
The unexpected pleasure of this novel is the excellent prose and strong descriptive writing. This includes the interesting, atmospheric writing about the various European cities in which the actions of Gina and Duncan take place.
I recommend this book to readers who like strong writing skills, relationship drama of characters in their 20s, and domestic suspense.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

I started this one for the different countries and the traveling, and I stayed for the question of who knew what, exactly. I honestly couldn't tell for the majority of this book what was going to be the end. I did have a suspicion, but I wasn't confident in it, just thinking that it was the most reasonable and likely ending based on what I had to work with.

Told in the point of view of both characters, it's interesting to see the way they each interpret different scenarios. It's extremely high stress at times, though. For me at least! Like the scene with the race I had to read it twice just to really understand it because I was so pumped with adrenaline the first time that I missed a lot and just got the gist of it in my haste to see what happened next!

Recommended: sure
For a frantic sprint through Europe, for unexpected knowledge discovered, for a domestic thriller on the run, for a desperately mad and all-consuming kind of love

I definitely think there's an element of all of this, the premise, that is somewhat hard to believe. There's a decent job of explaining how they get around rules and regulations and stuff, but in the end it is a little hard to believe that this could really happen. In fact, one of my favorite moments was when main character said how insane the story sounded and that even if someone had told a person what was going on, nobody would believe them because it sounded so far-fetched. That was a really funny and self-reflective moment to me.

The settings come into play a little bit with this, but they're on such a mad dash that a lot of the time we don't really see much of the area. It's more about the difficulty in the journey than it is about the details of the location. So if you're in this like I was to enjoy a jaunt around Europe, it's probably not exactly what you're expecting in that way.

Is amnesia ever not cheesy? I don't think so. But if you're up for a suspenseful chase through Europe, then this will take all of those boxes!

Thanks to NetGalley for a free advanced copy. This is my honest review!

Another book about head injuries! That's oddly became a hot topic during the pandemic. I thought this book was well crafted and a great look into what is memory and what they mean. A couple who hides things from each other but one who has amnesia really stood out to me as a great use of alternating points of view. I did not love the very long flashback sections because it took me out of the story in the present day and at times they were before we really got to know either character so they weren't super compelling.

Do you remember the days of no one being able to reach you? No cell phones to track you down, email was limited, maps were the rage, and anyone could disappear. Walk off and never be heard from again if they chose. Duncan and Gina are enjoying their European honeymoon, no set plans, traveling to any city or country that pulls their interest. Gina falls in a construction site and all the past year's memories are wiped clean. She wakens to see the only person who matters, Duncan. They continue their journey, Gina getting flashes of people she does not know, and events she cannot remember occurring. She knows Duncan is holding something back from her, but what could it be? The story is told through both Duncan and Gina's points of view, as they bounce around the continent. Who is telling the truth and who is lying?

This book did not grab my attention at any point. It is well written; it was lacking the excitement for me. I did not fall in love with the characters. Even though their love story was intense and powerful, it was lacking. It did not have the thrills and the passion that you would have imagined for someone to go through the lengths they did to be together. Thank you to Robin Kirman, Simon Schuster, and NetGalley for sending me this book!

Gina knows something isn't right but what is it? It's 1996 and she's in Europe with her husband Duncan on a belated honeymoon. They're young artists who are madly in love. She does know she had a head injury, falling when they were in Berlin, and that Duncan brought her to Switzerland for rehab. She's out now and they're continuing on their trip but something's wrong. There are holes in her memory, which is to be expected, but she's sure she wants to visit with her friend Violet. And she wants to talk to her dad. Then, in Vienna, they meet an older couple, parents of Marina, someone they both know in New York, and things become both more confusing and clearer. This moves back and forth in time in a sometimes confusing fashion to tell a tale of two young people, one of whom is keeping a big secret. There's a good mystery here but there's also a bit of dross. It's twisty enough. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is already slated to be made into a movie and it will be a fine one.

Thank you to S&S and NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Try as I might, I really don't like domestic thrillers. And so the plot of this book -- a young couple on a honeymoon after the wife has an accident and can't remember everything -- made me a bit unsure if it would work for me. But something about it made me dive in and I am glad I did!

The main reason this works for me as a literary thriller that manages to be a romance (kind of?) is the alternating POV. I think it's really cleverly written in that the narrators might be unreliable people who lie to each other and often to themselves, but we get into Gina AND Duncan's minds through the flashbacks as the plot progresses. This is key to me -- the narrative quickly moved from "lost wife" to "oh, it's complicated."

One of my other favorite parts of this book was the setting -- the late 90s, flipping between New York and Europe. It made me long for summer, for days when I would just go somewhere, anywhere. Anyway, beautiful language and description.

It was quick, snappy, and felt Gone Girl clever at times. 4 stars.

3 Who Is What Stars
* * * Spoiler Free-A Quick Review
Mystery/Thrillers can be addictive. They can give you a rush, a wonder of wanting to know more, causing you to stay with people until the very end due to the overwhelming desire for answers.

The End of Getting Lost presents two people who are together, who have one in the process of rehab for injuries that happened after the marriage, and also on a European trip to cement the relationship.

And if that isn't complicated enough...they aren't forthcoming with each other, with each hiding secrets and the knowledge of insights of the other. Hmmm

Lots of twists, major slow-building.