I always like to be clear when I post about romance that I’m super specific with what I like and what I don’t have patience for.

I hate preciousness and I hate when characters suddenly act in ways that don’t match previous descriptions/are not natural once things get going with the love interest. I want a realistic, but still swoony story, which shouldn’t be too much to ask for IMO, but oftentimes is.

I was watching less TV over the holidays and found myself craving something easy and light, so picked up Yulin Kuang’s very buzzy debut, How to End a Love Story. I was a little shocked by the premise of the two love interests initially being enemies because *the man accidentally killed the woman’s sister in high school* (what?!), but was sucked in by the very good, made for the screen writing (Kuang is a screenwriter and is adapting Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation). The conversations felt real and the characters were fully formed and had interesting dialogue.

Unfortunately, things went downhill once the writing started to heat up. I had gripes with some of the cheesy moments-unnatural sounding terms of endearment and a strange “we’re playing a game with each other” undertone that wasn’t cohesive-but what I really didn’t like was how the reserved, awkward female lead suddenly becomes super sexy and confident overnight because of the guy. Perhaps this scratches some sort of “normal girl who is actually so much more” itch for some, but for me, it just made me majorly 🙄.

Does anyone have any recs for a romance you think I should try? I’ve previously loved Elissa Sussman and, on the more lit fic side, any of Sally Rooney’s messy, but real characters.

The writing had my head hurting unfortunately. I had to soft dnf. But thank you to the publisher for my copy!

Hearing the buzz about this book, I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I just don't think we need second chance romance or enemies to lovers in every scenario. I started this read thinking wow both of these characters would be totally justified in just deciding to move on and speak with each other as little as possible going forwards. Even though I was not on board with these characters reconnecting at the start of the book, I was ready to be convinced but the conversations and evolution into flirting unfortunately did not win me over. I really just did not buy into wanting these two together! The writer's room setting was fun, and the emotional challenge of having to revisit painful memories as the characters entered this was an interesting exploration. I liked Yulin Kuang's writing style and the overall arc of the story and would pick up another book by her - it was just hard to get too invested in this one since I really wasn't rooting for them to fall in love.

I dropped everything to read this book. I found the characters really compelling, and the voice was relatable and extremely well done.

This book is quite the rollercoaster of when romance meets grief. It might take me a while to process the mixture of the two, but I think Kuang does a pretty good job with it on the page. The knowing a death in the family was accidentally caused by the person you're attracted to at first, then growing feelings for. The complications of family dynamics while navigating an undeniable connection. The guilt, judgement, and rationalizing that comes with reconciling that attraction. It's a lot, but it's pretty well woven together in the story.

As contemporary romance's go author Yulin Kuang definitely earns points for an unusual premise. Its not often you run across characters destined for romance where one of them is indirectly responsible for the death of the other's sibling. Unfortunately I could never fully engage with this story, which is so firmly enmeshed with grief and tragedy it never takes off as a full fledged romance.

The premise of this romance was very unique and dealt with some challenging issues and trauma. The enemies to lovers trope here is taken to a new level with the two main characters’ traumatic connection. However, it ends up being very very steamy! I liked the peek into Hollywood TV life and found this to to stick out amongst other romance novels. It was cool to read a book with such a unique approach to a common trope! I've seen people rave and I never ended up getting that sucked in.

I so badly wanted to love How to End a Love Story! I had heard many rave reviews and the premise was so intriguing. I typically love anything with this type of drama and tension. Unfortunately I really did not like either character and found it challenging to want them to be together. I tried to switch to audio to see if it would help me like the story more and I absolutely hated how the male narrator read this. 2 stars

This book was so truly captivating. The characters were flawed and real and so lovely to read about. I loved that this was more than just a love story and delved into family dynamics and grief as well. Cannot wait to see what the author has next.

It was a total surprise to me that Yulin Kuang was working on the Emily Henry adaptations, but I am now very excited to see that shared vision come to life after reading this debut. It is very hard to write enemies to lovers/hate to love dynamics in a real world context without it feeling trivial or overblown, and this one absolutely nailed it with the gravity of its context. The internal lives of both characters were rich and their actions were always very easy to relate back to the traumas they’d both experienced. The dynamic was very fresh and it was nice to see some avoidant attachment represented in a female protagonist.

I do wish we’d had more time to appreciate the dynamic between these characters more given that this was a romance novel. The ending felt a bit chaotic to me, and I did sometimes feel like scenes were skipping over one another too quickly. I think a neater ending and less rushing in the scenes with the central couple once they got together would’ve helped this novel to be even more impactful.

I’m very much looking forward to what this author has in store for the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang. This feels like a departure for my usual romance reading, it truly feels like a book for grown ups.

In this novel, Helen is the author of a bestselling YA book series who travels to California to work on the tv adaptation - only to get a shock when she discovers that Grant is one of the other tv show writers. Because back when they were all in high school, Helen’s suicidal sister ran in front of Grant’s car and died. It’s equally shocking to Grant who is still traumatized himself. And yet, as they get to know each other, they begin to realize they actually like each other.

For sure not a typical setup to an enemies to lovers story - and yet it worked so well, and was much deeper than your typical rom com. However, once we hit the almost halfway point, this book also had a long stretch of being way too spicy for my taste. The story and the overall writing was so good though that I didn’t care and totally would read another book by her. Just consider it a warning for my fellow prudes and/or an enticement for those that like the steamy books!

How to End a Love Story is a delightful romance about two people linked together through tragedy. I enjoyed the premise and thought the love interest was pretty swoon-worthy. My only complaint is that the pace slowed marginally about halfway through the book, but otherwise it was great! I gave it a four-star rating because I enjoyed it and would recommend it to a friend, but I wouldn't read it again.

A story of love lost and found, but not in the typical way. Helen Zhang’s younger sister Michelle dies unexpectedly when both are in high school. Classmate Grant Shepard finds himself inadvertently involved by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Fast forward 13 years, and the reader can see how much Helen and Grant’s lives have been irrevocably affected and shaped by the tragedy.

A novelist, Helen finds herself in the enviable position of having her book turned into a television show. Grant is a screenwriter selected to be part of the team who works on the show’s development. When the two are reacquainted, there is the expected tension one would expect, based on their mutual past. Over the next few months Helen and Grant are able to work together and form a relationship despite everything that has happened, finding that they are good for one another in unexpected ways.

Each of the characters has their own struggles with mental health, confidence, and trust which wind up framing much of the story arc. I light their individual and mutual growth, while also at times, getting frustrated with some of the decisions each one made along the way. Though I did not always understand how the two characters could be together, the author does a solid job of creating chemistry between them. I listened to the book and appreciated that it was told from both of their perspectives, easily identifiable with two narrators. A strong debut novel that offers insight into screenwriting, acting, Chinese culture, grief, and ultimately, forgiveness.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and have written and objective review.

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for a honest review.

this book was all. the. FEELS.

if you want something more than just romance with deeper feelings and meanings? OPEN THIS BOOK NOW.

this was amazing for a debut novel.

Yulin Kuang's How to End a Love Story is a heart-wrenching exploration of love, loss, and the lingering power of memories. Kuang's writing is both lyrical and evocative, drawing readers into the heart of the story.

The novel follows Mei, a woman haunted by the ghost of her first love. As she tries to move on, she's forced to confront the past and all the baggage that comes with it. Kuang skillfully delves into the depths of Mei's emotions, offering a raw and honest portrayal of the human experience.

I truly enjoyed the behind the scenes peek at adapting a book for TV. I also liked the parent/adult child relationship. And while I liked the main characters their "conflict" was way too contrived for me. Thank you NetGalley for the advance ecopy

Grant and Helen, former high school students, meet again 13 years later in Hollywood, where he is helping to co-write a script to bring Helen's book to the screen. The problem is that Grant was involved, though accidentally and innocently, in the untimely death in high school of Helen's younger sister, Michelle, and Helen is not about to forget that in her dealings with Grant.

This is a slow-burn, enemies to friends to lovers romance, that is open door in its sex scenes. How and if they both overcome the past and the memory of Michelle's death is the crux of the romance plot. I enjoyed most of the book, speed read through parts, and felt the ending was rewarding.

This was a read-in-one-sitting for me. I feel like there were several tropes within this story of death/grief. There are so many things I want to say, but can't.

This is a must-read for anyone.

The name says it all. The ending of this book is, indeed, how to end a love story. It was sweet, it was tangled, and in the end you were so happy they were together. There are some trigger warnings that are important, death of family members, drinking and driving, and anxiety/depression.