Thank you to netgalley for this ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book started out strong, a strong FMC with an impulsive partner whisking her far away to a beautiful pink sand destination. An exclusive holiday resort on the breath taking island of Eleuthera, the descriptions were beautiful and then a mysterious woman travelling solo in a romantic, couples resort.
Then I felt things went a bit slow and a bit flat. I felt disappointed that Laura, who started off as strong, became a bit of a pushover. If my partner or boss had spoken to me like that, I don't believe I'd have been ok with it and stayed quiet. I felt like the excitement and potential of a thriller at the beginning didn't continue throughout.
Towards the ending, I felt like we'd left a thriller book and entered into a contemporary fiction storyline, the ending didn't sit right with me.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC of The Ends of Things. I have to admit that this book really pulled me in. It had all the trappings of what was going to be an intriguing thriller.

A couple (Dave and Laura) take a mini-vacation to the island of Eleuthera. Laura, who navigates life by taking the "safe paths", becomes interested in Diana, a woman at the couples resort where they are staying who is not only traveling alone, but seems quite comfortable doing so. Laura and Diana strike up an acquaintance and during a hike they take while Dave is at a business meeting, Diana disappears. Diana's disappearance would set in motion a myriad of events, including Laura being a suspect in her disappearance, Dave and Laura breaking up, and Laura being stranded during a tropical storm.

At this point I was really looking for some drastic twist, but the only twist was the ending, and not necessarily in a good way. I felt the ending was flat. While there was some mystery in the story, I really wouldn't quite call it a thriller. It was more of a mystery with a message. A message to Laura to start taking chances, to reconnect with her teenage friend Chloe who the story kept reflecting on (something that Diana put in motion without Laura's knowledge), and for Laura to be more comfortable with her life than holding the lives of others up to comparison to her own.

This story shows a lot of potential for first time author and maybe it ended just the way they intended it to. I am confused about an inconsistency in that Laura mentions that her father died when she was young, yet also says the bear in her office was given to her by her parents when she graduated from Yale.

My Goodreads Review:

Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy!

I liked the book overall. It’s interesting when you think you’re reading one thing but then it turns out to be something else.. I went into this thinking it was a thriller/suspense, but I would consider this more women’s fiction with a hint of suspense.. overall though, great for a first novel!

To the author - I love your writing style. Everything tied up very nicely.. I think you should write a book about Diana. I’d 100% read it.

Engaging writing but the lack of in depth characer development left me a bit disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley aan the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My feelings about this book are mixed. I liked it enough to want to finish and know what happened to the characters, but I felt that the ending was bit flat, confusing and honestly didn’t make sense to me.
I did not feel like any of the characters acted like people do in real life. This one just wasn't for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone publishing for a copy of The End of Things in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed reading this book but expected more--wished for a more character driven narrative with better writing. And I think the novel could have been more expertly plotted.

The story started quickly enough, and I thought I would be easily absorbed into the book. However, there seemed to be a lot going on, and the story didn't really speak to me. It was interesting enough, but just not my usual cup of tea.

I absolutely loved reading this book because I felt like I was watching the next season of White Lotus and I couldn't get enough. I loved the descriptions of the resort and the people that were on vacation around the main characters - the writing was so good that even the smallest incidence or the slightest details of characters or events were portrayed perfectly - I felt like I was there! Sorry to reach the end of the story - i wanted more!
Thank you NETGALLEY for this ARC! This is my honest and voluntary review.

3 stars!

This had my potential to be REALLY good, when I saw the blurb I was instantly hooked! I couldn't wait to start to the point where I stopped reading my current book and started this straight away.
The first 30% was really good, I thought I was in for a treat. I really liked the writing style and the authors descriptions are 100% top notch, I really could feel the vibe and what it was trying to show, I loved it.
As we reached the middle mark, I found myself a tad disappointed. Firstly, I was confused with how much the story went back and fourth between Laura's relationship starting with Dave, to university, to high school and then back to the present again. I found this really confusing as it seemed to just happen randomly and I was a bit confused trying to wrap my head around what time frame we was currently in. I think this could've worked SO well by maybe adding shorter chapters explaining it was going back to earlier days etc as this would've really helped add suspense too.

I loved Diana's character, she really gave of a great character she was eerie and I wanted to know more about her! After Diana goes missing there was a few chapters where I thought this is freaky what is going on!


FULL REVIEW ON MY GOODREADS

I received this book from NetGalley as an ARC, and this is my honest & voluntary review

It started great and the ending I will confused

I felt like I just followed a women obsessing over woman.....I was expecting more and I didn't get it

I had mixed feelings about this book. It started SO strong, captured my attention from the beginning. But about 2/3 of the way it slowed down and got kind of ...weird.

SPOILERS AHEAD
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My biggest issue is with the ending. It went from a very suspenseful thriller, to just kind of a "eat, pray, love" vibe of Laura finding herself and her whole personality changing? I feel like the book could have ended when Diana was found or somewhere near that point. But the ending dragged on and left not a good lasting feeling.

Thank you to NetGalley and BlackStone publishing for the ARC of this book.

2.5 / 5 Stars, rounded up : Laura goes on vacation with her boyfriend and becomes infatuated with another woman who is travelling alone. Suddenly, the other woman disappears. The plot for this book had me hooked, however, it did not deliver. First, it should not be in the "thrillers" category. The plot was very anticlimactic. Second, the characters were not very likeable. I found the main character to be annoying and everyone to just be very predictable and stereotypical. They had no depth. However, I do think the author really had something with the plot here. It was her debut novel, and therefore I look forward to her future books and hopefully seeing her grow as a writer!

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of The End of Things in exchange for my honest review.
This book started off at a slow pace, but it gradually became more captivating as the story unfolded. Nevertheless, the ending didn't meet my expectations, and I'm still uncertain about my overall impression. Despite this, I completed the book, which influenced my decision to give it 3 stars.

Definitely not for me. I love a story on an island. I love a story about a woman coming into her confidence. This one isn't it, and the ending upset me so much I just stared at my Kindle in disbelief. Easy pass.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley/Blackstone Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5☆
While this book kept my attention and I needed to know what would happen next, I feel like I know less than I did before I started it?
The ending was confusing and honestly made the whole book make no sense..

The book kept giving but you just end up with nothing once it's over.

The Ends of Things” had an intriguing premise but unfolded too slowly to keep me fully engaged. While the atmosphere was well-crafted, the sluggish pace and lack of compelling twists were disappointing. Character development was decent, but the story needed more suspenseful moments to hold my interest. The book was in itself was well written.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this Arc!!

I was really intrigued by the premise of a thrilling suspenseful read that takes place in the idyllic Pink Sands resort - sounds like the perfect summer read for me! Unfortunately, I wouldn't really consider this book a mystery/thriller because it's not plot-driven at all. Especially with the ending, I would personally categorize this book as contemporary fiction.

2.5/5 stars

I liked:
- The atmosphere building throughout the book. I kept wanting to know what would happen next!
- It was fast-paced and a quick read.

What I didn’t like as much:
- The ending fell extremely flat. I ended up having way more questions than answers.
- I didn't understand why many of the characters acted the way they did (specifically Dave & Diana).

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book centers on Laura, a New York City attorney, who vacations with her boyfriend, Dave, at an exclusive Bahamas resort, Pink Sands. Their idyllic getaway takes a sharp turn when Laura befriends Diana, a solo traveler shrouded in mystery. On their second day, with Dave preoccupied by work, Laura and Diana embark on a hike together, culminating in Diana's baffling disappearance. With limited knowledge about her new acquaintance, Laura seeks help from the hotel staff and eventually the police.

The gripping story hooks you from the outset. Laura, a well-developed character, is nonetheless difficult to endear. She fixates on her single status, a past falling out with a childhood friend, and even Diana's disappearance, despite their brief encounter. Dave himself is an enigma, hinting at hidden depths that the author skillfully weaves into the suspenseful narrative, leaving you wondering how these interwoven threads will converge.

While the predictable ending falls short of a shocking revelation, and certain plot elements remain unresolved (a personal bugbear of mine in books!), the story offers a fast-paced escape, perfect for beachside reading. If you crave a quick, easy-to-follow thriller, this book delivers.

Thanks to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy. Add this book to your list for a captivating start to your 2025 vacations, hitting shelves on January 14th!

I had a really hard time getting into this book. I found myself really struggling with the writing style and just didn’t get into the book the way I wanted to. It did pick up some for me and offer a few good twists, which is why I gave it three stars. Unfortunately, they just weren’t enough to make me excited to keep reading. The characters weren’t very likable and that may be part of the reason I has a difficult time with this book. The ending also fell a bit flat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.