The book follows Laura and Dave, two lawyers who are traveling to the Bahamas for a vacation. I went into this thinking it was a thriller, but unfortunately there was really no mystery or thrill. Still a very enjoyable read.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Laura gets whisked away to a vacation island at the Pink Sands resort. Her boyfriend, Dave seems to be much more used to the luxury style compared to Laura.

She notices one woman, Diana, who appears to be there alone. She befriends her and finds herself making quick friends, so quick that she spills secrets that no one else knows. When in paradise, right ? Well Diana goes missing and Laura is rethinking everything she assumed to be true, how careless to share so much with someone she barely even knew.

Laura becomes obsessed with learning more about Diana’s past, both to see if she can help secure her safety but also justify to herself that she didn’t just trust her most desperate secrets to someone who shouldn’t have been trusted.

To me this is a mystery but with low thriller / psychological suspense elements. This was more low stakes mystery/ women’s fiction. This is short and sweet, would be a great beach read for the summer time !

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book started off fairly strong, but wound up being a skim read for me. I liked setting and found the overall tone interesting. It just didn't really click with me enough to fully hold my attention. It's heavier on the character side of things than the plot, which can be a plus for me sometimes but didn't really work this time, unfortunately. It is a quick read though and there was definitely a lot of promise there, so I can see how other readers might have a more enjoyable experience than I did.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

Laura seemed to have it all. As a rising star at a prestigious New York City law firm, she owned her apartment, was dating a fellow lawyer at the firm, and enjoyed being included in girls' nights out with her colleagues. She appeared to be living the dream, checking all the boxes for success and social acceptance.

But everything changed during what was supposed to be a romantic escape to a luxurious couples' resort in the Bahamas. A chance meeting with Diana, a mysterious and enigmatic guest at the resort, set Laura on a path of self-doubt and introspection, forcing her to confront deeply buried traumas from past friendships. Diana’s influence acted as both a mirror and a catalyst, pushing Laura to question everything she thought she wanted and needed—her career, her relationships, and the persona she had carefully constructed to fit society’s expectations.

By crossing paths with Diana, Laura was forced to reevaluate the life she had built and let go of the preconceived notions that dictated her sense of worth and success. In the end, Laura discovered that true freedom came from honesty—being true to herself and shedding the societal pressures to conform. Letting go of who she was "supposed" to be allowed her to embrace who she truly was, free from the weight of expectations.

Sandra Chwialkowska’s The Ends of Things is a thought-provoking exploration of identity, self-discovery, and the power of letting go with some mystery and suspense entwinned. It’s a story that resonates with anyone who has ever questioned the path they’re on and wondered if there’s more to life than chasing someone else’s idea of success.

Will start off by saying that the cover really is what drew me in but after reading this short story I realized it reminded me a bit about another read i had read. The story is based on a what is supposed to be a romantic trip between a couple who have been dating for a short 6 weeks. They seem to be a little off and not clicking as couples do. Until a mysteries women shows up and Laura spills all her secrets to this mystery women that shows up at the beach. Then the worst happens and the mystery woman is killed and Laura becomes the first suspect.

Unfortunately, this was not for me and I did DNF this. It didn't really feel like a thriller and it just didn't hold my attention.

Laura Phillips is a perpetually-single attorney until Dave, a new hire at her law firm, enters her orbit. Laura and Dave have only been dating for a few months when they book a romantic trip to the Pink Sands resort in the Bahamas where Laura notices and befriends Diana, who appears to be at the resort alone. What happens when Diana suddenly disappears?

I felt like this book was sort of confused about its own genre. It was part thriller, part literary fiction, part women’s fiction, some of which are genres I really like, but none felt resolved by the end. There were so many red herrings that ultimately ended up not being relevant, which was fine except that it really felt like there was no movement in any direction by the time we reached the end of the book. The protagonist was kind of dumb and thoughtless in a way that made it hard to believe she was this successful, cut-throat contract attorney that we were told she was. By the end of the book, it was clear that the thriller was a misdirection and the book was ultimately about Laura’s growth and lessons she learned. However, the end felt rushed or maybe just cobbled together, and we were not shown her growth but rather told about it. Finally, I never understood why Laura and Dave were dating (Why did she want to date him? Why did he want to date her?) and there were a lot of unrealistic plot points involving the legal field that drove me (as a lawyer) nuts.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really struggled to get through this one and almost DNFd. I went into it as it was described a thriller and I found it more literary fiction.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and Blackstone Publishing for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Just okay. I enjoyed the aspect of friendship and also finding yourself but this was marketed as a thriller/suspense which there was very little of. Okay, enjoyable, but not thrilling

Laura and her boyfriend Dave go on vacation. There she meets a woman, Diana, who is traveling alone. Laura becomes a bit infatuated due to Diana’s confidence and they spend a bit of time together. When Diana seems to go missing, Laura does the decent thing and reports it to the authorities. Through the ordeal, Laura learns more about herself, her boyfriend, her employer, and what she wants out of life. A great read!

Laura always wanted to travel but not by herself. So she finally gets a boyfriend whose name is Dave. They decide to go on vacation to a remote island. Laura becomes fascinated by a lady who is there alone. Then something happens to the lonely lady when they take a hike together. She ends up missing but Laura doesn’t know what happened to her.

This book is billed as a suspense/thriller, however I felt it wasn't overly heavy on suspense and was more like a women's fiction/drama. I enjoyed it nonetheless as an exploration of the main character Laura's journey of self-discovery as she comes to terms with who she is, her childhood and present relationships, career and who she wants to be in the future. I found myself a bit annoyed with her behaviors and reactions surrounding the disappearance of Diana, but felt she was redeemed later on as she found her confidence and asserted who she wanted to be.

Everything about this book seemed so promising...

The Ends of Things by Sandra Chwialkowska has the premise of a woman befriending another woman on a vacation in the Bahamas, but the latter seemingly vanishes without a trace.

My biggest gripe with this book is how it's marketed as a thriller suspense but, without revealing too much, it really isn't. Had I known this, I might've DNF'd it, but I kept reading because I kept expecting something that wouldn't happen.

It is also difficult to sympathize with the FMC. The conflict introduced between her and her boyfriend, as well as the high school "trauma" she repeatedly references, do not feel like enough to justify her erratic behavior. What's concerning is the fact that she is supposed to be a good lawyer, but her actions are so questionable that this detail is hard to believe.

With that being said, if you are in the mood for a more pensive read based on female friendships lost and gained, then this may be the book for you. But if you are expecting a thriller suspense, the anticlimactic plot may leave you frustrated in the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Ends of Things is available everywhere now.

Well on the positive side it was a super quick read……..not sure that balances out the negative for me.
I do understand Laura’s mindset about traveling/eating alone and the personal growth it takes to move past that. I was very much like her about that many years ago. But other than that and her obsession with Chloe and Diana, it’s hard to relate to her. Dave is an awful person which I’m pretty sure everybody but Laura knew from the beginning. There was really no mystery or thrill. Very much felt like women’s fiction.
I would say 2.5/5 stars for me which I absolutely hate to do.

This was a good read, but not really my typical style. I wouldn’t call this much of a thriller. Maybe more of a mystery.

Laura and her new boyfriend Dave take a spur of the moment to a tropical destination. While there, Laura notices a woman alone at the couples resort and finds it odd, but also intriguing, Diana. Laura and Diana start to get to know each other a bit more, but then Diana mysteriously vanishes.

Pros
Character driven
Atmosphere
Mystery
Thought provoking

Cons
Slower paced
Not enough thrill for me

The End of Things by Sandra Chwialkowska had a promising premise of a thrilling suspense taking place at a tropical resort. The publisher’s blurb sold me with their statement, “perfect for fans of…The White Lotus.” Unfortunately, I felt the need to DNF this book at nearly 30%.

Living inside the protagonist’s head page after page was not bringing me joy. The ongoing descriptions of Laura choosing certain material items, including, wine glasses, sunscreen (spray vs. lotion), menu items in a restaurant, and a romper from the hotel gift shop, quickly grew tiresome. The fact that this Yale-educated, successful attorney, completely lacked confidence, and even felt the need to justify what kind of sunscreen she was purchasing, seemed over-the-top and unbelievable. A reader, in a similar stage of life as Laura, might be able to relate to the protagonist’s inner dialogue with more understanding and empathy than I was able to.

That being said, not every book is for every reader, but every book has its reader. I was not the ideal reader for this book, but I do believe there will be those that find The End of Things to be an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing, Inc for the ARC of The End of Things by Chandra Chwialkowska in exchange for my honest review.

I liked the concept of what I think this novel was going for despite the fact that the synopsis makes it sound like it is going to be much more ominous. I just didn't love the flow of the writing and think the theme of personal reflection and growth fell flat because of it. I do love the title in relation to the theme & the cover is the best part. Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC and happy publication day

I honestly believe I would have liked this better had it not been described as a thriller. This was more women's fiction with a hint of mystery. This is about friendship as well as self exploration, and the prose in that regard was as beautiful as the cover. The protagonist was an interesting, intriguing person that I couldn't help but root for. With that storyline alone, this was an excellent read. However, the mystery storyline left me scratching my head and still questioning how to rate this. Three and a half stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing, for this ARC.

The Ends of Things by Sandra Chwialkowska is a thrilling suspense debut novel.
This has been intriguing and moves at the perfect pace.
I have devoured page after page, completely hooked and unable to predict where this one was going.

I couldn’t even get into it really. It was so bad. I wasn’t sure if it was just me so I checked other reviews and I wasn’t the only one who felt this way. This was a DNF for me. My friend who finished the book told me not to waste my time.