I have just finished this book and it's left me a bittersweet taste. I was so intrigued when I read the blurb and I knew I had to find out what'd happened to Jim. The answer has left me a little sad - particularly as it came years after his disappearance. Despite its sad moments, this is a story of resilience and coming through the other side of grief and I liked the way the author weaved not only the stories of Mary and Jim, but also Alice and Kit, on the backdrop of raising awareness of the male mental health.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest and impartial review.

Found the narrative a bit too depressing - there was nothing upbeat or uplifting about it - so it made for a drudging read, unfortunately

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

I had read Abbie’s previous book The Silent Treatment and loved it.
This one was very different following the story of Mary whose husband Jim disappears without a trace. She relentlessly never gives up on finding him.
Alice a newspaper reporter along with Mary’s colleagues at a Crisis Call centre all become great characters along with Mary and the heartbreak of not knowing why the man she loved disappeared.
Beautifully written and a surprising conclusion

Aww call me an old romantic but I utterly adored this book I found it pulled my heart strings. 5 stars from me if I could give more I would.

Heartwarming characters you can't help but root for! I couldn't put this one down with out wondering where they would end up.

The Ends of the Earth by Abbie Greaves is a heart-wrenching novel that tells the story of Mary O'Connor and her relentless search for her first love, Jim. Mary has been keeping a vigil for Jim for the past seven years, waiting for him to return to her at Ealing Broadway station. Every evening, she holds a sign that reads, "Come Home Jim," hoping that he will see it and return to her.

The novel is beautifully written and explores the themes of love, loss, and hope. Mary's character is well developed and the reader is able to empathize with her as she struggles with her emotions and the pain of not knowing what happened to Jim. The author has done an excellent job of capturing the complex emotions of Mary and the other characters in the book.

The plot is engaging and keeps the reader hooked until the very end. The unexpected call that turns Mary's world upside down leads to a series of events that force her to confront the past and come to terms with the present. The twists and turns in the story keep the reader guessing and the ending is both heartwarming and bittersweet.

Overall, The Ends of the Earth is a captivating novel that is sure to leave a lasting impression on its readers. Abbie Greaves has crafted a beautifully written story that explores the depths of human emotions and the power of love and hope. It is a must-read for fans of Jojo Moyes, Joanna Cannon, and Ruth Jones.

A gorgeous and moving love story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review.

This is a very unusual novel, well-written and thoughtful, and it handles mental health issues with compassion and understanding, and without judgement.

I did find Mary a bit frustrating at times, but she has made her own choices and has her own reasons, and she is firm in that, which gives her agency in a life that often feels pointless. Her work at the helpline gives her another dimension, and her burgeoning friendships there give us hope that there is more for her.

Alice is lovely, and her back and forth with Kit is a highlight of the novel, providing some needed lightness and humour. I felt too that Jim was drawn with sensitivity and care, and that his character was an interesting portrayal of the difference between what people might want and what they need.

An intelligent book, the author’s love for her characters is clear. I really enjoyed it.

This one comes with a content warning -check out at the end if you want more information.

This is one where the premise really appealed, particularly the mystery bit behind Jim’s disappearance and how Mary’s story goes a bit viral on social media. But for me it felt that the storyline was a bit lacking in the emotional pull I was hoping for. There are some great supporting characters in this one, particularly Alice and Kit as they help investigate Jim’s disappearance

Thanks to NetGalley, the team at Random House and the author for the opportunity to read this review copy.


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⚠️Content warning/potential spoilers: reference to alcoholism, mental health and suicide ⚠️

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an absolutely wonderful book.
This is a beautifully written, and reminded me a lot of Elinor Oliphant is Absolutely Fine, but done in a different way. It is thought provoking and dealt with life lived with depression and the impact of this on others in a really heartfelt way. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to others.

This author knows how to write an emotional read that pulls on your heartstrings and this was no different. It was written beautifully and dealt with some important topics in a very sensitive way

Abbie Greaves is going to get a reputation for writing about mid- life. All that regret, experience and reflection, coupled with a desire to make something of what’s left of their lives. Nearing fifty myself, I can understand this taking stock and editing out what no longer serves. However, in the case of Mary, she has taken stock and decided to firmly devote herself to the past. We meet Mary in her quest to find Jim, which involves standing outside Ealing Broadway station with a homemade placard that reads ‘Come Home Jim’. This could be dismissed, certainly for those who don’t pass that way very often, but for daily commuters she’s a familiar site because Mary has been standing here with this same sign for seven years. Every day, after completing her shift at the supermarket, she stands vigil at this very spot until it’s time to go to bed. She hasn’t missed a day. The author then takes us back in time, to a younger Mary working as an events organiser in Belfast, when she meets a doctor called Jim. They have a whirlwind romance and they are so good together, it’s difficult to imagine what it is that tears them apart in the future. From here we go back to 2018, but keep popping back into the past to learn a little more about the pair and their relationship. Meanwhile. in 2018, Mary is noticed and posted on social media, with her quest going viral. This is going to change everything.

A journalist called Alice picks up the story and is touched by Mary’s vigil, Kit works at a charity called Nightline, where Mary sometimes volunteers. Nightline provides a listening ear for those in a crisis with their mental health and Mary is one of their Nightshift volunteers, although she does find the work difficult, especially when a callers story mimics her own. Kit and Alice agree to help Mary and this pairing is delightful as they bring a touch of humour to the novel, despite it’s heartfelt subject. The limits come in the main two characters, both of which only seem to exist in relations to one another. We get the sense of the ‘specialness’ of Mary because we see her through Jim’s eyes and with the knowledge of his love for her - I’d didn’t feel I’d got to know her in the her own right. Jim had less presence than her. I don’t know whether this was deliberate on the author’s part - possibly she was trying to show us that although two people appear quite steady and ordinary, they can seem extraordinary to those looking at them with love. Like her first novel this was emotionally intelligent and while it was an interesting idea I didn’t seem to fully engage with it,

Abbie never fails to make me cry, always in a good way of course. I requested this after reading and loving The Silent Treatment, and enjoyed this one just as much!

This book spoke to me on so many levels, and the subject matter of living with crippling depression was handled beautifully.

A truly heartbreaking story highlighting the effect love can have on us, especially when it is lost. Tissues are needed for this one.

Mary stands outside Ealing Broadway station, holding a handwritten sign. She has kept the vigil for seven years in the hope her boyfriend, Jim, will walk back into her life.

Alice works for a newspaper but her job is on the line. She comes by chance into Mary's orbit and becomes invested in her story, deciding to track Jim down whatever it takes. This brings her into contact with the telephone nightline that Mary volunteers for with Ted, Olive, and Kit.

As Alice pursues her story, it becomes less about saving her job and more about finding out why a person disappears. Alice's father disappeared when she was growing up and she still struggles to accept that he won't return to her life. With Kit's help, Alice manages to find the answers both she and Mary need to move forward.

This is a complex story, not least because of the way it chronicles mental health. Jim struggles profoundly with his and Mary is determined to stick with him, whatever it takes. But Mary's love, in the end, is not enough. Whether Jim deserves Mary is not the issue here but whether Mary can find it in herself to accept a future without him in it.

I loved Alice's persistence, her desire to find the truth about Jim, and the dawning realisation that her search was as much about her as it was Mary. Abbie Greaves is sympathetic at drawing out the various strands of the characters, nearly all of whom have personal issues that they are not facing up to. The end is affirmative and feels right in the context of what has gone before.

This was a good and thought-provoking book and I look forward to reading more by Abbie Greaves.

I was sent an advance review copy of this book by Random House UK, Cornerstone, in return for an honest appraisal.

What a gorgeous, warm and beautifully written novel. This is the first novel I've read by Abbie Greaves and I'll definitely be reading her debut The Silent Treatment next. The Ends of the Earth tells the story of Mary who volunteers at The Nightline volunteer helpline and keeps a vigil for her partner Jim at Ealing Broadway station with a sign that says 'Come Home Jim'. The novel switches between time frames and we discover how Mary and Jim meet and I became immersed in Mary's search for him. The novel compassionately and with real empathy encompasses love, loss and depression. Greaves characters are beautifully drawn, I loved the friendships in the novel and was really drawn into the characters lives. Recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

The Ends of the Earth is a complex (but easy to read novel) focussing on many themes and dealing with some heart-breaking and complicated issues yet it does so in a poignant and respectful manner. Despite having some devastating moments, there is an undertone of character determination, love and friendship and the uplifting parts balance out the darker themes.
Overall this is a novel about mental health. And what is really refreshing is that it mainly focusses on the mental health of male characters, but also, how this impacts everyone around them. Not once did I judge a character in this book or feel any malice towards any of them. What I felt was wanting to take care of them all, wanting to hold them, help them seek help and try to make things a little easier than it easier than it was. Abbie Greaves captures the devastating effects of depression on those who have it, and those who are around it. She delicately highlights different causes, symptoms and mindsets so beautifully.
Other themes include love and friendship and these are used to develop characters, tell the story of Mary and Jim in the past and present and compliment the plot beautifully.
My favourite character was actually Kit and I would have loved to delve a little deeper into his mind and life. Mary was determined and courageous, Ted a gentles soul and Alice desperately trying to avoid her past. Together they made such a wonderful support network for each other.
Overall, this is a slower paced novel but it’s not one that should be raced through anyway. It was compelling and compulsive but often required processing and thinking time in order to truly appreciate and attempt to understand the characters and their lives and the deeper themes.
I highly recommend this novel and would love to hear your thoughts if you have/do read it.

This is a story that's a bit about love and a bit of a mystery.

Mary has waited for her first love Jim to come home for 7 years. She stands outside a train station every evening with a sign saying 'Come Home Jim'.

I'll be honest, that had me hooked to read this book straight away. I like my love stories to have a side of sadness and this one certainly had that.

It also has lovely, heartwarming characters that you just want to hug, and a storyline that is so intriguing you can't help but keep turning the pages.

Woven into the story are two other characters, Alice and Kit. I loved Kit so much, he was such an adorable character!

I hope it's not too spoilery to say this book has a lovely focus on mental health from an aspect I feel isn't talked about enough and I think Abbie Greaves brought it to the centre of this story in a very natural and believable way.

If all the books I read this year are of this quality I'll be very happy!

The Ends of The Earth is a moving story about loss and love. Topics such as mental health, alcoholism and grief are covered sensitively in Mary and Jim’s story. The stigma and shame of depression is handed carefully and at its core a reminder that it’s never anyone’s fault.
I really enjoyed Mary’s story although found Jim a little harder to connect with, and some of the secondary characters especially Kit were great additions to the book. As the dual timeline takes us back and forth through the lives of Jim and Mary, we can start to understand the frailties of relationships and in particular the portrayal from the outside of a perfect couple. An emotional read which I’ll be recommending to all.