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.

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.