Skip to main content
book cover for I Know How This Ends

I Know How This Ends

A Novel

You must sign in to see if this title is available for request. Sign In or Register Now

Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date Aug 12 2025 | Archive Date Aug 26 2025

Talking about this book? Use #IKnowHowThisEnds #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!


Description

If you knew how your life would turn out, what would you change now?

The second brilliantly uplifting and page-turning novel from the multi-million bestselling author of Geek Girl and Reese's Book Club Pick Cassandra in Reverse.

Margot Wayward is in manically gleeful self-destruct mode. Following the implosion of a ten-year relationship, she’s wilfully derailing her successful career, joyfully taking down men on dating apps, and living in total chaos.

Until one day, when Margot has a vision of herself with a man she’s never met before. She doesn’t believe in fate. But when Margot meets single-dad Henry, the vision comes true: exactly as she’d foreseen it.

As her future continues to reveal itself, a glimpse at a time, Margot realises she knows exactly what’s going to happen, and when. And there’s nothing she can do to change any of it.

So Margot has to decide how to live, how to love again, and how to be herself… Because if you can’t change your destiny, how on earth do you live your present?
If you knew how your life would turn out, what would you change now?

The second brilliantly uplifting and page-turning novel from the multi-million bestselling author of Geek Girl and Reese's Book...

Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9780778368632
PRICE $30.00 (USD)
PAGES 416

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Reader (EPUB)
NetGalley Shelf App (EPUB)
Send to Kindle (EPUB)
Send to Kobo (EPUB)
Download (EPUB)

Average rating from 40 members


Featured Reviews

Oh, this book was such a great read. I love a good time travel twist, and this one felt fresh and thoughtful. Margot Wayward is falling apart after the end of a long relationship, and her life is in complete disarray. She is avoiding work, going on disastrous dates, and pretending everything is fine. Then she starts getting clear glimpses of her future. Specific moments begin playing out exactly as she saw them, no matter what she does.

One of those moments is meeting Henry, a single dad she has never seen before. And then suddenly he is right in front of her. From there, Margot has to figure out how to live in the present when she already knows what is coming. The story explores what it means to love, to move forward, and to accept the things we cannot control.

I really connected with the characters and appreciated the way the book balanced humor and emotion. The relationship between Margot and her grandfather stood out the most to me. It added so much heart and depth to the story without feeling overly sentimental.

I also listened to parts of this on audio, and the narration was excellent. It matched the tone perfectly and made the experience even more engaging. I struggled a bit to connect with this author’s debut, but this book completely surprised me in the best way and I can't wait to read what she comes up with next.

This would be a great pick for readers who enjoy character-driven stories with a touch of magic and emotional depth. It reminded me of the kind of storytelling you find in books by Emma Straub, Rebecca Serle, and Kate Spencer.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Was this review helpful?

I LOVED Cassandra in Reverse so I was so excited to pick up Holly Smale’s latest and it did not disappoint! Whenever I wasn’t reading this, I wished that I was. This novel brings up lots of interesting questions about destiny and how much of a role free will plays into things… I absolutely adored this one. It’s only June but I bet this will be one of my top books of 2025!

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

Was this review helpful?

Margot's life has gone completely off the rails - her decade-long relationship has blown up, her friend group is in turmoil, and she quits her beloved job as a meteorologist. She goes on a series of terrible dates and has pretty much resigned herself to being alone forever in an unpacked flat when she starts having visions of a future with a man she hasn't met.

I loved Smale's last book (Cassandra in Reverse), so I had high expectations for this one, and I was not disappointed! Quirky (but not annoyingly so) characters, funny dialogue, some heartache, some happiness, some visions of the future -- this was a sweet and delightful read from start to finish. I'm already looking forward to reading more books by Smale (and dipping into her backlist - loved the Geek Girl show and can only assume the books are even better)!

Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: