FIRST OF ALL, thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for this advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book undoubtedly made me so sure that Yulin Kuang is going to do a phenomenal job at adapting Emily Henry’s books to the big screen.

The tension between Helen and Grant was PALPABLE in all the best ways. I loved the soft dynamics of their relationship, I loved getting to truly watch them fall in love between the pages of this story.

The wit was incredible, the spice was excellent, the tenderness between these characters was so important. I love how differently it handled the loss of Helen’s sister than other books have - it felt so genuine and real, and I truly have all the love in the world for Helen Zheng.

I really loved this book. I cannot wait to recommend it to others, nor can I wait to purchase my own copy.

I also really truly cannot wait to see how Yulin adapts Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation, because I now know more than ever that those stories are in phenomenally good and capable hands. I will, without a doubt, read anything that Yulin puts out from this point forward.

Thank you AGAIN for the opportunity to read this novel ahead of its release.

Read if you like reading:
🌏(from) Asian Authors & Rep
💔 Heartbroken Characters
🎥 Behind the Scenes
📝 Writing Process
❤️‍🩹 Healing Moments

“This is what it would feel like to love Grant Shepard, she thinks, and it aches”

I don’t know what to say about this story, other than holy shit, I can’t wait to see what the author does with EmHen’s stories when she helps to bring them to life because this story brought my emotions so many different places so I know those emotional stories are in good hands.

I truly loved the forbidden aspect of the romance between Grant and Helen as they are trauma bonded with something so heartbreaking that all at ones forces them apart, yet binds them explicitly together for the rest of their lives with pain and loss that is incomprehensible of being the sister and the driver who both lost so much when Helen’s sister decided to commit suicide and Grant was the unlucky driver she jumped in front of 10 years ago.

The depth of emotion without the explicit internal monologues of the characters was so well done and I truly felt all the ups and downs so deeply and truly don’t think the book would have affected me so deeply written any other way- it was perfect.

This is the one time, that I can’t believe I’m saying this but the third act break up was necessary and made sense and couldn’t have told the story without it.

All my love for this debut and I truly can’t wait to read what is next from Yulin.

“I’ve always found endings harder than beginnings, goodbyes harder than hellos.”

Thank you so much to Avon for my ARC and finished copy in exchange for my honest review!

I stayed up until 4 am reading How to End a Love Story because I could not put it down. What made the book so compelling to me is the deep emotions that drive both the hero and the heroine. For me, it is the deep emotionality of romance novels that has made me a lifelong romance reader.

Helen lost her younger sister when she was in high school. Her sister was run over by the high school football star, Grant. Since the death, Helen and her family have lived with that grief every day. Grant has also lived with that grief despite the accident not being his fault. Everything is made even more complicated by the fact that the accident was a suicide.

Grant and Helen are now adults. Helen is a bestselling writer whose books are being turned into a television series, and Grant is hired to help create and write the series. At first, Helen wants nothing to do with Grant, and Grant is just desperate to connect with Helen. That was my least favorite part because it was not clear how those two would ever reach their happy ending. However, Kuang is able to bring these two together in a believable and very human way. It is a process that kept me up all night.

If you can handle some of the dark themes in this book, give it a try.

Content Warnings: suicide, car accident, public sex, grief.

This was a bit heavier than I expected. The fact that he is the one who killed her sister is a lot to take in right at the beginning. I liked seeing their connection grow even as Helen tried to fight it. I would have liked to see a bit more personal growth, but I had a good time.

I received an arc through netgalley.

This book, with its irresistibly cute cover, completely blindsided me with its emotional depth! It's a gut-wrenching and tragic love story between two individuals carrying heavy burdens. Trigger warnings are necessary for this one! Despite feeling emotionally drained, I can confidently rate it 4.5 stars, possibly even 5 stars!

Helen and Grant have intertwined pasts that haunt them, and their paths cross once more when Grant becomes involved in adapting Helen's book into a screenplay. The tension and angst between them are palpable, and the romance is so heartbreakingly beautiful that it still brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it! The dual point of view allows us to delve deep into their thoughts and emotions, leaving me utterly wrecked but thoroughly engaged.

Yulin, the talented screenwriter behind "People We Meet on Vacation" and the director of the upcoming "Beach Read," absolutely needs to be on everyone's TBR list! Her skill in screenwriting shines through, adding a cinematic quality to the story that made me feel like I was witnessing a breathtakingly poignant love story unfolding right before my eyes.

I loved this book. It was fun, it was sad, it was playful, it was deep, and it managed to do it all so effortlessly and seamlessly. Grant and Helen are both such full characters and so dynamic and nuanced and real. They are frustrating, but in such a relatable way! And, I loved all the side characters— they are developed and part of the story without feeling like their sole purpose is to set up for a sequel (which is becoming very common for the genre). I would highly recommend this book.

4.75
THIS WAS SO GOOD!!! wow wow wow i want a Grant so bad, can he just kiss my palm and make me feel better please!
i loved the whole concept of this, it was different than anything i've read and it was sad but it was also very cathartic. def check trigger warnings before reading but this was overall just a great read.
i can't wait to have a physical copy of this!
thank you netgalley and Harper Collins for the ARC! i loved this so so much!!!

my only hesitations on this, the first 20% was a little slow for me and there were times i felt it kind of lingered a little too long on certain things but other than that i think this is perfect if you love Mariana Zapata with her slow burns and her character development!

Incredible. Phenomenal. Perfect.

I knew I would love this one, but it exceeded my expectations in every single way. Helen and Grant are soulmates and you cannot convince me otherwise. After reading this, I'm even more excited for her work with the film adaptations of Emily Henry's novels. I can't wait for her next release!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for this ARC!

Another book I am forced to check out of early due to personal triggers, suicide in particular which I do feel like should be mentioned. I was prepared for a heavy book from the blurb saying "tragic accident" but I cannot understand why we continue to not give readers the courtesy especially in romance of trigger warnings. Others will be able to read and I know they will enjoy.

A heart-felt tale of grief, growth, and love.

Helen Zhang has writers block and still struggles with feelings brought about my her younger sister's death 13 years ago. But now she's in LA in the writers' room where her young adult series is being adapted into a TV show. Grant Shepherd hasn't seen Helen since high school, after the car wreck that killed her sister. He's tried to move on, but the panic attacks haven't totally gone away. Working on Helen's show is a bad idea, but it will also help his career. As Helen and Grant start to spend time together, they realize that there might be something between them beyond trauma.

Right from the start it's clear that Yulin Kuang is a screenwriter, since the dialogue and storytelling feels very visual. You are instantly transported into the story. To me the strongest portions of the book are the sections that deal with trauma and how Helen and Grant try to work through things. It feels very realistic, but also hopeful that we can all grow from our own experiences. The side characters are not super detailed, but we get a sense of them and how Helen sees them throughout the book.

I think there are moments when it's clear that this is a debut novel, since the pacing and the sharing of emotions is not perfect. However, I feel like it's still realistic and I was able to connect to Helen and Grant. I am definitely curious to see what this author can do next!

Overall, I recommend this book if you are interested in enemies (sort of) to lovers and stories about dealing with grief and trauma (definitely read the content warnings). While this is not an easy read, it does leave you with a hopeful outlook at the end. It's a great read for a rainy day and a cup of tea.

I did not enjoy reading this book, the character Holly was very boring and didn't seem to have any character growth and I think she showed the way people grieve in a terrible way. I did enjoy Grants character though, he seemed light hearted, but the book just didn't seem very interesting to me.

Where to even begin….this book was so lovely from start to finish. I’m a sucker for books about writers. In this case, two screenwriters who have a built in rivalry that runs deep. Both Helen and Grant have a lot of personal shit that they work through in a very relatable way. Helen was an icy FMC, it was truly satisfying to watch her armor melt away. Grant was dreamy and their sex scenes had me fanning myself! Yulin Kuang is not afraid to edge her reader, that’s all I’ll say!!

Loved reading this one and am looking forward to Yukon’s future novels and future Emily Henry screenplay adaptations.

Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for my advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

"I want all of it this time," Grant says, his voice harsh and impossibly close. "I want the nights and the days and the weekends and the holidays and I want you at my side and in my bed and in my life. I want to meet your parents and I want to take you to a sheep farm in fucking Ireland and my dad's place in Boston. I want to see what kind of person you are when you're eighty. I want to do this for real, and to call you mine so badly it's a fucking joke."

This was a hefty topic to tackle for a romance storyline, and I'm not quite sure this book effectively did so. And the writing at times seemed really disconnected.

But I really enjoyed both characters and the development of their relationship along with the screenwriting they were doing; I wish a little more time was spent on that portion of it.

Overall, this was a fairly average but still a good book for a first time author.

Would you fall in love with someone you share a tragic past with? Such a strong promising debut that pulled my heart right out of my chest!

Grant Shepard and Helen Zhang share not only just the same high school but are also tied to each other through Helen’s sister’s suicide which happened more than a decade ago. Seemingly brought together by fate, they must work to adapt Helen’s, now a popular author, book series to the small screen. With regular interactions from the writers’ room, will they then be able to get past their shared trauma and achieve their happy ending?

To preface, don’t be deceived by the cover, this book is another one of those with a cute pink one which packs a lot of heady stuff from topics of suicide to grief to on-page panic attacks. I literally craved for something cold and sweet the moment I finished this but to no avail since it was already 1am, HA.

I loved how Grant and Helen’s relationship progressed from someone whom they went to HS with to everything that came after. While Helen had built a wall the size of the Great Wall of China around herself, it was fascinating to watch it all slowly fall down and let Grant in. Both of them were changed by what happened and it was lovely to watch them heal together and as individuals as well.

I also appreciated how the heavy themes in this book were tackled with sensitivity. However, the reason I docked a star is that I wanted to see more of the complicated family dynamics, especially that of in an Asian household, coming from one myself. I think this could have been explored more.

An overall satisfying read and definitely an author to watch out for!

Thank you so much to Avon Books, NetGalley and Yulin Kuang for my copy. All opinions are honest and my own.

A great blend of depth, humor, and romance. Although I’ll admit there are times both Helen and Grant frustrated me, they also felt very real. They had a complicated past that was a unique “second chance” set up, but from a friendship and forgiveness standpoint and not an ex-relationship.

There’s definitely moments of heaviness and the theme of letting go/moving on is seen throughout. But I thought it was well-balanced with plenty of comedy and lighter romantic moments.

TW: Suicide of a loved one

“I know you're human, Helen,” he says.
“And I'm sure you know how to love people, even if you don't say it out loud all the time.”

I'm picky when it comes to romance and prefer when there's more to the story than just the romantic elements. Seeing all the rave reviews, I thought How to End a Love Story would be a promising read, especially because it also explored grief and loss. however, I found it to be pretty unmemorable to me.

Ironically, what I cared most about the story was not the romance. I found the romance to be difficult to root for and I just didn't care for the love interest. I felt like it developed way too quickly. They hated each other for years and then suddenly after a couple weeks in the writer's room they loved each other? I was just not buying it. also, I knew that Helen and Grant’s past would be important to the story, but what thirty year olds still care about high school?

What I appreciated most about the book was Helen’s character. She was so relatable and it felt like I was reading about myself, just older. Her awkwardness, self-doubt, friendship struggles, and loneliness were just too real.

Even though I didn't Grant I thought his character was also well written. I enjoyed how both the main characters and the side characters had a lot of depth to them.

I loved the writing as well. there were times that it was repetitive, but it was still good. This seems to be an unpopular opinion, but I love it when romance is written in third person.

I think the cover of this book makes it seem like a silly happy romcom, but it's really not. this book is much more emotional than your average romance book and it's similar to Emily Henry’s books where it's also about self discovery and character growth.

Though I didn’t love this book as much as I wanted, I am still looking forward to what Kuang writes in the future. She’s a really talented author and I’m sure her writing career will go far.

Helen and Grant share a past trauma that has defined both of their lives. Once their paths cross 13 years later will their trauma bond, heal or break them?This was a really beautiful story. Heartbreaking and uplifting all at once. Do not be fooled into thinking this a romantic comedy. It is very much a romantic drama, but written so well.

Thank you NetGalley, Avon and Yulin Kuang for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Yukon Kuang is a star! Screenwriter for Emily Henry’s people we meet on vacation and writer/director for Beach Read and now author herself! Was so excited to get the ARC for her debut novel.

Helen and Grant went to high school together but haven’t seen each other in 13 yrs since both were impacted by tragedy. Then they are working together in a writers room to turn Helen’s YA series into a TV show.

The writing was really great. You could feel/see the scene and emotions. I enjoyed the insight into turning a series of books into a tv show, especially knowing Yulin has personally been in writers rooms.

The third act breakup was not my favorite but knowing Helen’s thought process during the time helped me through it.

Enemies to lovers. Forbidden romance. Family issues. Open door, spice.

How to End a Love Story sets the bar so very high for 2024 romance novels. Everyone should read this book. That’s the review.

How on earth is this so good? This was an emotional roller coaster meets a+ pining meets steamy romance meets love story. Wow. Both Grant and Helen are tied together due to tragic events which unfolded many years ago. They both feel broken and unworthy and are by no means looking to fall for one another. The relationship as it develops and influence of family expectations and their past history propelled this story into a whole other level and seemed completely realistic. This is not your typical romance book but romantic it is. 5⭐️

from the bottom of my heart, all i want to do right now is to drop to my knees and present some flowers to yulin kuang.

in reality, i lack the appropriate words to describe what this book has done to me. i have never identified myself as a romance lover because i have a hard time identifying my vision of love in popular romances. one exception to that is emily henry, which many assimilate to "chick-lit". maybe that's my genre of love stories after all, because at the end of the day, i find this genre of romances to be more emotionally sensible and humane and i think what we have here is a new reference title of the genre, and personally one of my new favorite books of all time.

"how to end a love story" follows helen zhang, a successful writer of a YA series and its TV adaptation, and grant shepard, a successful screenwriter of the project. the novel opened with the death of helen's sister, michelle, and how grant is involved in the tragedy. the main story started a decade later, where our two protagonists meet again in the writers' room.

this book has the wittiness of an emily henry novel, the emotional tenderness of olivie blake, and the delicious angst of a 100k-work-slowburn-hurt and comfort fanfic on ao3. somehow in barely 300 pages, yulin kuang's writing pushed me down a roller coaster of emotions, between the romantic part and the family issues part (get a girl that can do both!) i felt deeply seen in the helen's and grant's love through vulnerability and acceptance, but also helen's relation to her mother. of course, we have seen many representations of immigrant mother-daughter relationship, but i really like the direction of the book took in exploring helen's dilemma between honoring michelle's memories and living her life free of expectations.

this book is a tenderly vulnerable portrayal of love in many of its form. i think that yulin kuang writes with a lot of emotional intelligence: there is something very shocking about the beginning that i almost didn't continue. the situation makes me uncomfortable, because i feel (and identify) with the deep pain the characters went through. yulin, the screenwriter she is, makes readers feel emotion by mastering the "show not tell" through the whole novel: for example, i find myself screaming crying throwing up at the couch scene (iykyk) because it was so sexy but still very intimate. that scene reminds me a lot of the church scene in alone with you in the ether and the cathedral scuplture of rodin. there is always so much tenderness, intimacy, and respect in the love that exists. at many points, i find myself in awe with the way yulin kuang just seems to see straight into my heart because with the relationship of grant and helen it just feels right, it makes sense that they are together and it makes sense that they feel a profound love for each other, and for this i salute yulin kuang. fews have done this as well as she has.

overall, "how to end a love story" firmly establishes itself as one of my favorite romances of all time, maybe even of all time i sit on it long enough. reading this i am not surprised that yulin kuang got a seven-figure deal in a six-bidder auction for her first three books because in my opinion she will become a new figure of the romance community. i am excited to see what she has to offer next and will be waiting the next book with utmost impatience (avon, if you heard me and want to send me an ARC 👀)

oh yulin, please save me yulin 😩😩😩

visit me on instagram @shardsofdeadlove

thank you avon | harper voyager and netgalley for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange of my honest review. i will potentially add quotes to this review upon release.