I thought the synopsis of the book was interesting and I think it could have been good? I saw reviews coming in that weren’t great but gave it a try anyway. I really struggled with Laura. She supposedly is a smart lawyer but man she makes some really dumb decisions. It drove me nuts. The relationship with her coworker seemed odd and I wondered why they were even together. The way she befriended Diana was very strange, how she got so invested with someone she didn’t know at all. I kept reading by skimming only because I wanted to see if the ending was good but it was so not. I was like, that’s it?

In the synopsis, this book is referred to as "thrilling suspense" which is totally misleading in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, I really liked the story but it's more about friendship and introspection than anything else. Laura is very realistically portrayed and I loved her as a character. There is a bit of a mystery involved and mild suspense but more of a character study than anything else. I liked the ending and would definitely read another book by Sandra Chwialkowska, a fellow Canadian. I looked the location up on the internet and it looks every bit as beautiful as it sounds, especially the Glass Window Bridge and the pink sands.

Quite a few times Laura refers to herself as the "good girl" and that's funny because my next Netgalley read is a book called "Good Girl" by Aria Aber.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing via Netgalley for approving my request to read this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: January 14, 2025

I liked the book overall. The characters were interesting. It started off strong, with a mysterious woman on a remote island, and had all the makings of a twisty thriller - but about halfway through, the pace slowed down, I felt like the writing was repetitive, and the plot got a bit stagnant. I was a little confused by the 'plot twist' and I was waiting for something crazy to happen but it didn't. It was a fun read and I enjoyed it.


Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for the advance copy.

The Ends of Things
4⭐️

Fabulous writing! Every scene, character, and emotion clearly played out in my mind as I read, making me feel fully immersed in the book’s world. This was a psychological suspense told from the POV of Laura. Laura is a 30-something lawyer living in New York City. Her life is orderly, routine, and predictable. A new romantic relationship leads to a spontaneous island vacation. Laura is still getting used to being part of a couple and allowing herself to believe is this is the life she deserves. She finds herself heading thoughts constantly being distracted by a woman at the resort completely alone. This isn’t a twisty or thrilling read, but it’s a deep emotional ride that will resonate with anyone who has experienced shaky self-confidence, Good Girl Syndrome, or the complexities of romantic and friendship relationships.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. This review will be shared on NetGalley and Goodreads.

Pub Date Jan 14 2025

This one grabbed my attention from the get go and somewhere halfway through it became odd. I was hoping for more to come out of the mystery, suspense etc and it turned to a coming of age story of sorts. Meh..

The cover and title of this book immediately grabbed my attention, so I dove in without any expectations. At first, though, I was a little lost. The story seemed to wander without a clear direction, and I found myself slogging through a lot of background details that left me more confused than engaged. The narrative structure didn’t help—shifting between third-party perspectives and frequent jumps into memories had me constantly second-guessing what was happening in the present versus what was a flashback. It felt like my brain was playing catch-up the whole time.

Things finally picked up around page 170, but by the time I reached the ending, it came in with such a rush that it felt rushed and underwhelming. After so much buildup, I was expecting a bit more of a payoff.

Okay so this was a book I chose as a palate cleanser between fantasy because sometimes you need something new.
This book was surprising, it's an almost thriller. Overall this book kept my attention but I just had a hard time trying to put myself into the main character's POV. She was so anxious and made some odd decisions. Nevertheless I stayed until the end. Their were unexpected turns. I should have caught on to the Greek references.
Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

An enjoyable read, I thought it was going to be more of a thriller/mystery book but felt more woman’s fiction,
I started off really enjoying the book, interesting characters as it went on though I felt it changed from thriller/‘ystedy to woman’s fiction, so I have gave it 3.5 star rating for that reason.

Sandra Chwialkowska’s “The Ends of Things” is her debut novel. Laura Phillips is excited to go on her first trip with her new boyfriend of a couple months, Dave. They head off for a few days to the Pink Sands resort, located on the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas.

On their first day there while at the beach, Laura looks around and sees couples like her and Dave, with the exception of one woman. The woman, Diana, appears to be vacationing by herself and Laura is intrigued by her. The fascination continues that evening at dinner as she observes the woman’s ease at being by herself and surrounded by couples.

Laura and Diana have their first brief conversation later that first night. The following morning, there are a few more opportunities for Laura and Diana to talk and spend time with each other. Then Diana disappears. After Laura reports Diana missing, she tries to learn more about her and figure out what happened.

The plot does take a turn about two-thirds of the way through and things shift for both Laura and the reader. The first part of the novel was more of a thriller or suspense, but the end was more in the realm of women’s fiction. Regardless of the genre, I found it to be a relatively fast-paced and enjoyable read. The ending was a bit anticlimactic and a little more open-ended than I like, but still realistic.

Overall, I recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

Suspenseful, intense, and the perfect beach read. I would recommend to anyone who loves thrillers in captivating settings. Definitely reminded me of Bad Tourists or The White Lotus, in a great way.

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

I would love to be able to read this book as it sounded amazing but my Kindle wouldn't support it. This isn't the author's fault.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

Honestly not sure where to go with this review, I mean what was that?! It was great starting out it had everything it needed to be a great book, It had me hooked from the beginning wanting more. it was a pretty fast read at first... then it just kinda fell off and flopped..

I'll give it a 2.5 rounded up to 3 (maybe!?) I'm so sorry i hate posting bad reviews

This is gonna sound kinda harsh but feels like this is a book someone started writing this on Vacation and didn't quite finish, then got home realized it was still not over and just kinda threw things together at last minute, I don't feel like ending really made much sense, after the festival it just kinda ended and it dragged on from there.. I would preferred her staying there and working at Joe's rather than what we got.

I was def intrigued by the Diana parts, thank god for her because otherwise there would have been nothing else going on in this book, Dave was just boring but he's a man so i guess that's a given.

The last bit was kind of cute when she realized what Diana did but what was with the standoffish bish she ran into at the plane!? I mean she had every right to be mad at her but I guess Diana was just kinda over it at that point having talked to the cops, I just wish there was more thought put into the ending... I feel like it just fell of the cliff she thought her friend went over.

The Ends of Things
By Sandra Chwialkowska

A career-focused woman embarks on a romantic getaway to the Bahamas with her boyfriend. What begins as a relaxing escape turns into a gripping mystery when she befriends a solitary traveler, Diana. Then Diana suddenly vanishes, Laura is thrust into a web of intrigue and suspicion.

As evidence mounts against her, Laura fights to clear her name, losing her career and relationship in the process. Caught in a race against time, she must navigate a world of deception and question the trustworthiness of those around her, including Dave. Will she uncover the truth before it’s too late?

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

Hot and then cold
I was #gifted The End of Things by Sandra Chwialkowska from @blackstonepublishing and @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
This literary debut follows Laura Phillips and her new boyfriend Dave as they head off on a romantic getaway to the remote island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas.
Shortly after their arrival in paradise, Laura makes friends with Diana, a single woman among all the couples. But when Diana suddenly disappears, Laura becomes obsessed in finding out what happens, despite the consequences.
The writing was easy to read, and pulled me in right away. I often wondered how the main character could put herself into so many awkward situations to find out the fate of her missing friend. The book kept my attention, and I wanted to know what happened – until it didn’t. There was a point in the book when it sort of just took me out and I didn’t feel like it was a thriller anymore.
I gave this book two stars because in the end, I didn’t feel that anything really happened, despite it feeling like way too much was happening. It just sort of played through some assumptions and made me feel like I missed something along the way. While the setting sounded beautiful, I think there could have been a bit more continuity to bring the reader through to the end.
The book hits bookshelves January 14, 2025.
#bookreview #sandrachwialkowska #theendofthings #mystery #fiction #2024reads #readmorebooks #gifted #womenauthors #debutnovel #bookthoughts #honestreview #bookaddict #bookrecommendations #netgalley #arc #blackstonepublishing

Great debut novel! Made me think of a Freda McFadden or Lucy Score novel. It kept me on the edge of my seat. A couple head to the Bahamas for a getaway at a luxury resort. A chance meeting with a woman at the resort that traveled there alone, and a hike, takes you through a psychological journey.

3.5 Stars, I'm a little conflicted on this one because it is a quick read and I did enjoy it, but it's not really a mystery or thriller like I thought it was going to be based off the description.

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.