3.5 rounded up. This book is about a young career-driven woman who is going to an island with her new boyfriend for a much needed vacation. She rarely travels, but is excited for this next chapter of her life. She’s been told that the world is made for couples, and is appreciating the benefits of being in her new relationship. When she gets to the island and the couples-resort, she notices a woman who is at the resort alone and becomes fascinated (obsessed?) with her. When they go on a hike together and the woman disappears, the remainder of the novel is about her search for this woman, how it impacts her life, and a journey of self-discovery.

Parts of this book felt really relatable to me as a woman in my thirties who has experienced the insecurities, gender-bias, and overall frustrations that were mentioned in this book. It did feel overly detailed at times and I think this made the plot feel slow occasionally. I also went into this book expecting a thriller, and after reading it felt it was much more a self-discovery book and this really impacted my experience. Would recommend this to women who have gone through a recent breakup, or career change. Overall it was well written and a quick read.

3.5 Stars

Laura has a lot of things on her bucket list, but doesn't want to do any of it alone. So when her boyfriend, Dave, suggests a trip to the Bahamas, she is all in! They are both attorneys in New York, so a get-away to a couples resort, with no work, sounds like a dream. The first day, Laura notices a woman that is alone at the resort and becomes curious about her. Meanwhile, the no-work-vacation changes for Dave as he meets with the owner of the resort, who is a client, rather than hiking with Laura. While Dave is working, Laura has a few drinks with Diana, the woman at the resort alone. Their drinks lead them to take a hike to a remote cliff, and after an argument, Diana disappears. Laura can't stop herself from digging into the disappearance which brings trouble with the local authorities, her boyfriend and even her employer.

I really enjoyed the author's writing style, bringing the setting to life, and making the weather almost another character! The characters in the book are not necessarily the most likable but that is part of what made this such a fun read. If you like a mystery with conflicted characters, I recommend you give this a try!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I had a hard time finishing the book I really wanted to like it and the pacing of the story was good, the characters were developed fine but it just didn't have much substance.

This book was just not for me. It wasn’t a mystery and nothing much happens. Very disappointing considering the blurb is what drew me in.

Repetitive and a bit odd. Not much of a mystery, so I suspect there’s a marketing issue. Perhaps this would have been more engaging and less of a letdown if it was simply fiction or women’s fiction.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Laura and Dave travel to a remote island in Bermuda for a vacation. At the resort, Laura notices a woman by herself and who appears to be vacationing alone. This is something hard for Laura to imagine as she is afraid to travel by herself. She befriends the woman, Diana, who after a few days disappears. The police are called and Laura realizes that there are more things going on than she realized at the resort.

I wanted to like this story. From the start, the writing was solid, the pacing was appropriate and I liked the characters. But about half way through, the story became a bit wobbly for me. I hoped that the story would regain its momentum but sadly did not. But the longer I read, the less interesting I found the story. Honestly, I had a hard time finishing the book. Also the ending was a let down.

The Ends of Things is a beautifully written novel about an insecure woman traveling with her boyfriend to a Carribean island where she meets an extremely confident but mysterious stranger. Laura has never felt comfortable eating, traveling, or really doing anything alone. She has always believed that a friend or partner is necessary for such activities. Finally, she finds herself traveling to the Bahamas with her boyfriend. She can't wait for this perfect trip. While lounging on the beach, she notices a single woman. Laura can't fathom why anyone would travel to such a romantic resort by themselves. After meeting Diana, Laura is intrigued and wants to learn more about her. Unfortunately, Diana soon goes missing, and Laura is swept up in the mystery of her disappearance.

While I wouldn't necessarily categorize The Ends of Things as a true thriller, I still thought it was well written, and I definitely wanted to keep reading. The characters are largely unlikable, especially the boyfriend. While I didn't totally dislike Laura, the author does focus a lot on her insecurities and weaknesses. With that said, I do think that is a huge part of the book and the character's development. I did get White Lotus vibes, which was how the book was described. This is definitely one of those books that you will be thinking about long after finishing. I think it is a great read for book clubs; a lot of interesting discussions to be had!

I was so excited to read this but it did not live up to the blurb. I could not stand the main character and almost quit reading several times. It became quite repetitive. The twists and turns were not as good as I hope they would be.

Vacation suspense is a fun genre/sub-genre. This was not a fun read. Lauren is not a great character and I didn't find this book very interesting or engaging.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

I found myself reflecting on it long after I finished reading. The pacing is slower, but in a good way—it gives you time to really connect with the characters and the emotions they’re going through. If you’re in the mood for something introspective and emotionally rich, this book is definitely worth checking out!

I saw White Lotus used as a descriptor for this book and immediately requested. Unfortunately, this one fell a little flat for me. I've read a lot of vacation murder mysteries lately and this story fell flat to me. I loathed Laura. She seemed really immature and I was annoyed enough to almost DNF by halfway in.

Thank you to Sandra Chwialkowska, Blackstone Publishing, and NetGalley for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion which publishes 1/14/2025.

When Diana unexpectedly disappears, Laura suddenly realizes how little she knows about this mysterious woman. The police suspect Diana may be in danger, and soon Laura herself becomes embroiled in the investigation. Her worries swiftly turn into obsession: Who is Diana? Where did she go? Is she dead? Murdered? As Laura races to find out what happened—and prove her own innocence—she quickly realizes that nothing in this sun-soaked paradise is what it seems, and it’s impossible to know who she can trust. What started out as a dream getaway is turning into a terrifying nightmare......

This book's description says "thrilling suspense" and I am quite the fan of thrillers, but this was anything but thrilling or suspenseful. I never read reviews before starting a new book, so that it doesn't cloud my judgement, so I went in completely blind. I thought I was going into a thrilling suspense, but it did not go in the direction as described. It had potential and was a good read, until it was not. There was a completely unexpected genre shift and I didn't find the characters, especially Lauren, to have any redeeming qualities. Lauren is whiny and narcissistic and has no real depth. Her emotional state is immature at best from her thought processes to how she views both herself and those around her as very surface level. One thing is for certain, the book did live up to its title, because I was absolutely considering a DNF half way and was thankful when it was over. Here's to "the end of" this book.

I really wanted to like this book- it has all the makings- catchy writing, literary skill, and a mysterious plot. I found myself staying up late to read just one more chapter, and I was drawn to the storyline. However, the main character, Lauren, was absolutely insufferable. She seemed entirely stuck in high school, from her thought processes, to grudges, to how she viewed herself and those around her. When she yells at her new friend, Diana, is the first moment in the novel that I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. I think I understand what Chwialkowska was attempting to do with unravelling Lauren's persona of a 'good girl', 'shy girl', 'insecure girl', but it lacked any real substance. There was no depth to who Lauren really was and instead the focus was on her looks, popularlity, and rule following. Her relationship with Dave was confusing at best, but made little sense. No wonder she is always considering the ends of things, because she doesn't ever go beyond the surface; despite stating that she is vulnerable and ends up hurt all of the time. There was a bit of symbolism in the end of the novel, and while it was anticlimactic in ways, it really solidifies Lauren's skewed view of the world with her glass half empty look on life. The book was well written-but the characters made it unenjoyable for me. Thank you to #NetGalley and #BlackstonePublishing for the ARC.

The Ends of Things has all the makings of a twisty thriller, especially being set on a remote Bahamian island at an exclusive resort.

The first half of the book sets us up for the mystery nicely. Laura clearly has some issues from her past, but now she’s met Dave and they’re taking a dream vacation, so nothing can be wrong, right?
Everything starts to unravel when Laura notices a woman who seems to have traveled alone to the resort and becomes fascinated by her, and Laura happens to be the last person who saw her before she disappears from a hike.
Things began taking a strange turn here, for me. Without giving too much away, this book really just did not go in the direction it was described as. Things were great until they were not and then the book was abruptly over. I feel like if you go into this not expecting a dramatic and crazy thriller it might be more enjoyable.

Overall it wasn’t a bad book, especially for a debut novel. I did enjoy reading it despite the main character being pretty off putting. I would have preferred more of the thriller aspect I was anticipating.

Thank you so much to the author and Blackstone Publishing for providing me this ARC via NetGalley.
Publication date 1/14/25

thank you to Blackstone Publishing, Sandra Chwialkowska, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

Overall, I really enjoyed this read! The writing style was really digestible and I found a lot of the characters interesting. I stayed captivated by the story until about 80% in, when I became sooo confused by the “plot twist”. I was waiting for the rug to get pulled out from under me, and something crazy to happen, and it just never did. It felt like the story dragged on and unimportant things were emphasized after the initial “plot twist”, when the story could’ve just ended around 70%-80%. Once again, it was still a fun read, just had something missing for me.

Review of The Ends of Things by Sandra Chwialkowska

3 Stars

The Ends of Things starts strong, with an intriguing premise and a lush, atmospheric setting in Eleuthera. When Laura’s mysterious new friend disappears, the story promises suspense and secrets, but the pacing falters mid-way, and the twists fail to deliver. Laura’s obsession with a long-lost friendship feels repetitive, and the rushed, unsatisfying ending leaves more questions than answers. While the setup is compelling, the execution falls short, making this a decent but underwhelming debut thriller. Thank you netgalley for my earc in exchange for my honest review.

So, as other reviewers have mentioned, this book has an unexpected genre shift. Some people are into it and some people aren’t. I’m personally in the favorable camp! About halfway through this book, I was ready to give it a scathing review about an annoying main character who is kind of whiny and narcissistic and then at the very end, she gets called out on her shortcomings and she experiences some growth, so there was that. But yeah, when you read it, you think you’re reading a thriller/suspense novel, and then suddenly you’re reading a story about female friendships. This book did touch on some topics of feminism which I appreciated, and overall gave off a women’s lit vibe by the end. Overall, I found it to be kind of inspiring about not making assumptions, the power of living your most authentic life, and to keep life in perspective. It was a weird ride but by the end, I actually enjoyed it. I think it takes a good author to make you think a book is one thing and then flip it on its head!

The cover and name caught my name and that is why I requested to read. However, the book is a slow train wreck that you can't look away from. I thought the pacing was super slow and it was hard to get through. I would not recommend. I wish I could have liked this more, I normally love vacation thrillers.

Cover was super attractive and definitely caught my eyes. Lots of detail, but felt like in slow motion. Thrilling and suspenseful, but felt a little bummed with how it ended. Slow burn, with a sparkless ending.

The Ends of Things by Sandra Chwialkowska is touted by the publisher as a thrilling suspense but it is neither. It starts off well and with promise but just doesn't deliver. A disappointing read for me. It happens!

My thanks to Blackstone Publishing for allowing me to access a DRC of the novel via NetGalley. Publication is 1/14/25. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.