I was a little hesitant about this book - a plot that involves the MMC being the driver of the car that killed the FMC's sister when they were all in high school definitely takes deft handling. However, I thought the author did a pretty good job overall handling it. Obviously this is a Serious Situation that causes heart ache throughout the book, and my biggest concern is that it would go overboard and feel maudlin and melodramatic, which I think a lot of modern romances tend to do when trying to be serious. And I do think at times, probably more so toward the end, it does start feeling a little maudlin. But it never felt ridiculous - it fit with the story line. And thank goodness for characters who do at least talk about things! Ridiculous miscommunication never plays a role.

The other thing I did really enjoy was the chemistry between the two! Ooh, talk about steamy. The first half of the book, that tension is jumping off the pages. It does kinda die down, unfortunately, once they're in a relationship and the focus goes onto the Serious Situation, so the ending wasn't as good for me. But overall an enjoyable book.

wow, wow, wow. first of all - Yulin, please buy yourself a bottle of champagne and celebrate, because this was an incredible debut novel and I feel so privileged to have gotten to read it early - thank you Avon Publishing and NetGalley! I will absolutely be purchasing a physical copy day of release!

this story isn't your normal "happy go lucky" romance and it was so refreshing to have something that was so multi-faceted and complicated. these two people are working through their grief in their own unique ways and obviously that can create some tension. I love it when one catches feelings sooner than the other but is so patient and understanding... I guess it's nice to see someone who may have extreme anxiety, but also is confident in their own feelings. and goes to therapy and works through their shit!? YES PLEASE SIGN ME UP.

I loved the chemistry between Grant & Helen... obviously with Yulin's background with screenwriting, it came through very clearly to me. I was hooked as soon as the writer's room left for their little "bonding retreat". The banter, the friendships, the glimpse into how a tv show is made... it just did it for me.

Loved the romance, spice, angst, ALL of it. This was the perfect rom-com, and the characters were wonderful. I adored Grant and Helen, and I was thought Helen's character development was really well done. Her inner monologue and road to forgiveness/acceptance surrounding their shared trauma seemed very authentic. Kuang knocked it out of the park with this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC!

HOW TO END A LOVE STORY is pitched as romance, but I'd more describe it as literary fiction with a heavy romance plot. It's not so much focused on the relationship between Helen and Grant as it is about Helen herself and how she's dealing with the grief of losing her sister to suicide. (I'm using "dealing" here loosely—every piece of her is affected but she chooses to ignore it.) A lot of what happens in this book reveals to us more and more who Helen is as a person, and I think there was more emphasis on this than building up the love between her and Grant. She went from, "you need to quit this show," to sniffing his blanket, to "I am overwhelmingly and utterly in love with this man." WHERE DID THE ANGST COME FROM!!! I love pain, but not when I'm told to feel it from out of nowhere. So ultimately, this failed as a romance for me because I was unconvinced of their love for each other. I can maybe connect the dots in Helen's mind but for how desperately Grant loved Helen and how he'd "rather have a fraction of [her] than all of someone else," I really didn't know why.

And because this felt more literary fiction to me, I wish there was more nuance in the mother-daughter conflict. That could've been so good, especially with Helen being the eldest daughter. Being Asian myself, I deeply understand that a part of Helen refused to pursue anything further with Grant because of her parents, but I don't think that came across in the writing. The passive dad, however ... that is as real as real gets lol.

I think this one could be for all the sexy-but-make-it-sad girlies ... like fans of THE ROUGHEST DRAFT by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, and HOW TO FAKE IT IN HOLLYWOOD by Ava Wilder. It was easy to sink into and even though this didn't sweep me off my feet, I'm looking forward to seeing Yulin Kuang grow as a writer!

This was a brilliant read. It had everything I needed for a romcom. There was banter, spice, tension, hate, resentment, and two people who had a dark past history and both felt they were undeserving of love. Helen Zhang and Grant Shepard haven’t seen each other in over 10 years since a tragic accident bound their lives together. They reconnect when Helen’s book is chosen for a TV adaptation and Grant ends up as the screen writer. This story follows them as they reconnect and make peace with their pasts all while trying not to fall in love.

I devoured this book in one sitting. I love the way Yulin Kuang writes. The characters are sharp and witty and have a ton of baggage. There were times I almost felt as though Helen was unlikable but the story was so well written you couldn’t help but root for her. Both her and Grant were dealing with a lot of grief, anger and self loathing, I found that while this story had some heavy themes there were sweet lighthearted moments and many spicy moments that made it less heavy feeling. This story also touches on the long last effects of trauma and familial expectations. I loved how we saw Helen and Grant as they navigated their own issues all while trying to figure out what a relationship between them might look like.

I think if you’re a fan of Emily Henry and Christina Lauren type romances then this is a must read. The characters have depth and there were many emotional moments and many steamy ones too. I loved the Asian American rep and highly recommend this phenomenal debut.

Huge thank you to Avon for providing me with an ARC

This book was incredible. I was a little hesitant to start it, not because I wasn’t interested but because some of the content is a little triggering for me. However, I am so glad I finally started it- I couldn’t put it down. This is an amazing debut novel about a relationship grown from a messy place of guilt and trauma. It is so messy, and sometimes uncomfortable, but despite the circumstances, the bond that grows between Helen and Grant reads as believable and beautiful. The dialogue and banter between the characters is so rich and at times funny- I have no doubt there is a movie in our future. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc.

Grant Shepard was the unwitting cause of Helen Zhang's sister's death, back when they both attended the same high school. Fast forward 13 years, and Helen is a best-selling YA author, while Grant is a successful screenwriter. They meet again when Helen's book is greenlighted for a television series, and Grant is one of the key screenwriters involved in translating the book to the screen. The repercussions of Michelle Zhang's death affect both Helen and Grant in ways that neither one can acknowledge, either to themselves or to each other. Add to that the cultural differences between a Chinese family living in New Jersey and a privileged, but divorced, white family and the result is a fine, complicated mix of messy humanity and family relationships. But as Helen and Grant (reluctantly) work together in the writer's room to bring Helen's story to life, they begin to see each other in a totally different light. And the chemistry between them only complicates things further.
The author, Yulin Kuang, is also a screenwriter and that knowledge comes through in the way she uses the writer's room to move the story forward. I learned a lot about how the screenwriting process works from reading this story, another plus for me. This story is much more complicated than the usual contemporary romance, which only adds to the richness of the characters and the story being told.

4⭐️- What a fabulous debut novel from Yulin Kuang. The trigger warnings at the beginning are helpful, but be prepared to fall in love with the characters, feeling conflicted along the way. A good amount of spice, a storyline with a unique plot, and I couldn’t put it down. If you like Emily Henry or Abby Jimenez, definitely give this a read.

Thank you NetGalley, BookClub Girl and Harper Collins publishing for sending an ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Usually an enemies to lovers trope is not my favorite. The main characters really have no reason to despise each other (yes, I’m aware that people hate each other for no reason), and the reason they hate each other is really not very serious or is a miscommunication that could be dispensed with in about 5 minutes if anybody ever bothered to communicate properly.

How to End a Love Story gives Helen and Grant a valid reason to despise each other - in high school, Helen’s sister committed suicide by running in front of a car. Grant, who was at the wrong place at the wrong time, was the one who struck and killed her. After graduating and going to separate colleges, both Helen and Grant become writers. Helen is the author of a popular YA series and Grant is a screenwriter in Hollywood. Their paths cross when Helen’s books are optioned to become a TV show and Grant is hired to be the head writer for the series. We get a to participate in the writer’s room with them and see their walls crumbling as they get closer and build trust.

This story grapples with grief, with parental expectations, with first and second generation immigrant tensions, and with choosing happiness. This book handled these topics sensitively (I do not like books where grief is a central character, and in this one it felt present but not overwhelming). A main focus was Helen coming to terms with her sister’s decision to end her life without leaving a note and being able to move forward from that, honoring her sister while still living her life and choosing happiness for herself.

For those of you wondering if you can listen to the audiobook at the office, the answer is probably no - it’s definitely got some spicy scenes, and will probably also leave you ugly crying at some points.

Thanks so much for the chance to read and review. How to End a Love Story was a wild ride that I couldn't get off. It was well-written and gripping, and I think the experience of reading it will stay with me for a while. I'm not convinced that I buy the conclusion, but I think the idea of love blooming despite trauma is compelling. I'm looking forward to reading more from Yulin Kuang.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this lovely romance novel. From the beginning, the effortless writing had me hooked. It was simply, but descriptive and I felt I could feel and understand where each character was coming from. Poor Helen has grown up with many skeletons in her closet, mostly emotionally, and who would have thought she’d end up living close and working with the guy would was responsible for her sisters death. Their relationship evolved and truly became romantic and sweet at the same time. What a treat!!

Truly a special book. A solid 5 stars.

Please - do yourself a favor and read this book. And then re-read it. (I know I will be.) It hits on so many levels: emotionally resonant, well thought out characters, a source of conflict that doesn’t feel contrived, chemistry that feels organic, and clever dialogue. This isn’t just a romance novel, but an exploration of grief and healing.

I’m not usually a fan of third person, present tense narration. In fact, it took me until about the 10% mark to acclimate. But even so, the writing on this really shines, and once Helen and Grant started to interact more, it was hard to put this down.

Seriously, one of my favorite reads in a long time. This review seems brief compared to others I’ve written, but that’s because you don’t need to waste your time reading my review - just go read the book.

Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced reader copy!

thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for the ebook in exchange for an honest review

The screenwriter and director of some of Emily Henry’s upcoming films makes her author debut with none other than a love story about an author and a screenwriter. I haven’t salivated over such a delicious phenomenon since Julia Whelan, the audiobook narrator for Emily Henry’s books, made her author debut with Thank You for Listening, centered around - you guessed it - an audiobook narrator.

Let's get the male love interest out of the way: I don’t personally gravitate toward a former high school jock archetype, but I quickly got over it when he started saying and doing things that were so hot they made all the feminism FLEE from my body. This man was a smoke show and such a simp. And he owns a kindle! Other than admitting to his agent that he didn't the heroine’s book, no notes.

This turned into How to End (my enjoyment of) a Love Story:

Step one: make the heroine so rude and uncalled for and horrible toward the hero the entire book that the reader wishes SHE was the one who jumped in front of a moving vehicle instead of her suicidal sister! Yep, that’s it! That’s the list! Throughout the story, she’s indecisive, inconsiderate of other people’s feelings, physically runs away when she’s scared rather than properly communicating what she wants or what she’s feeling, and would rather remain complacent than make hard decisions that would so clearly benefit her. She was responsible for a lot of unnecessary and infuriating conflict in this book. It was explained off as mommy issues and trauma, but said baggage was not written in a way that justifies her behavior throughout the story.

You know what, after further reflection, maybe the hero didn’t like her book because he has immaculate reading taste, and her book was bad!

All of this is to say, if you write a great male love interest, give me some delicious tension, and set the scene in Hollywood, I’ll likely enjoy your story enough to finish it. Just don’t expect a high rating if you make your heroine insufferable!

✧ 3.5 stars

This had lots of potential- an "enemies" to lovers with a tragic event connecting them. I liked how throughout the story they're able to work through their grief, with a lot of sweet moments. But parts of it fell flat for me. I couldn't connect with the characters making it hard to get into/finish. I also felt like the relationship was really one-sided and their arguments got repetitive.

A big thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager, as well as NetGalley for providing me with an early copy to read and review.

I can’t remember the last time I finished a book in less than 24 hours. I could not put this down!

I’m loving this trend I’m seeing of the romance genre have depth beyond compelling chemistry beyond the two main characters. This had emotional family drama and a great arc of character development.

I’ll be anxiously awaiting news of this author’s next book.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager, as well as Yulin Kuang for my eGalley copy of this novel via NetGalley.

Helen has not seen Grant in thirteen years, since one of the worst days of her life, after a horrible accident intertwined their lives forever. That's all about to change now that her hit YA book series has been picked up for TV and they find they're both going to be in the writers' room. Will they be able to work together even with the tension that has existed between them all these years? Does their shared history set them up for even more?

If I'm being entirely honest, the main reason I even noticed this book was because Emily Henry posted about how amazing it was, and a few days later I saw it on NetGalley and had to try for the opportunity to read it. Oh.My.Gosh this book was deserving of every positive review. The character development we see with Helen is profound but doesn't feel rushed. The way she processes her trauma from her sister's death and how their last conversation went, as well as her inability to love freely, was moving. The way Kuang tackled these difficult topics was so well done that I felt immersed in the story, often forgetting I was reading because I felt like I could see the story playing out on the page.

I loved Grant's character and hate how Helen's parents treated him, though I know the death of a child can often leave parents in an irrational state. He was just a kid, and was completely innocent of responsibility for her death, but was experiencing the natural trauma that one would experience after living through/witnessing such a horrific event. When he had his panic attacks, especially when he witnessed the car accidents during his commute, my heart broke for him. I think though I would have loved to see him completely overcome his panic attacks as the reader, the way the story panned out represents mental health in real life. He was doing the work, seeing a therapist, yet the panic was something he still had to deal with but he now has the tools to do so.

On that note, the entire books dialogue on mental health was so refreshing. As someone with severe anxiety myself, it was nice to see these "normal" characters suffering with trauma responses/anxiety/perfectionism, but it wasn't the main topic of the book nor was it the main topic of their lives. They were professionals, friends, lovers, etc. and their mental illnesses were a part of their lives as the common cold may be. I feel there aren't many instances where books touch on mental health where it isn't the main crux of the storyline, and it was nice to see.

The relationship between Grant and Helen's relationship naturally progressed from "enemies" who had spent years thinking about how each other's lives were playing out, to two people who loved each other and pushed each other to be their best selves felt so natural that I almost feel disappointed that they aren't based on real people. I loved that Grant was so into Helen early on that he was acting like a horny teenager, it was really cute. Also when she was high I was dying, I found myself laughing out loud.

There really wasn't anything I didn't enjoy in this book. I know it's only February, but I think this miiiiight be my number 1 read of the year so far, and it's going to be hard to beat. I know many take issue when there are a large number of side characters, but I felt they were just as interesting and enjoyable as the main characters (though obviously not as well rounded as a main character). They helped develop the story and add depth to the writers' room aspect of the book.

I am going to recommend How to End a Love Story to everyone I know. I already cannot stop talking about it, and I hope it eventually gets made into a movie, because that would be amazing. Just from my experiencing this book, I'm even more eager to see the coming movies Kuang is working on, her gift for storytelling is unmatched.

If you're a fan of love stories with some spice, you just may be a fan of this book. How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang tells us the story of Helen & Grant, two characters you want to root for with a more-than-complicated past. During their senior year of high-school, Helen's younger sister, Michelle, commits suicide by purposefully walking in front of a vehicle that just so happens to be driven by Grant. Despite knowing Michelle's mind-set and that Grant was not at fault, Helen and her parents find it difficult to not place the blame at Grant's feet. Years later, life brings Helen and Grant together again when Helen's book series is being turned into a tv series and Grant is hired (without Helen's prior knowledge) as one of the writers. Grant wants nothing more than to make amends and share all the feelings and thoughts he's had over the years with Helen, but she wants nothing to do with him. Over time and circumstances, Helen's heart begins to thaw and an epic love story (not without some ups and downs) is born! Have the tissues handy before starting this book because it will bring all the tears!
Read it for yourself on April 2, 2024 when it becomes available. Thank you to NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager, Avon for granting me the privilege of reading an advanced copy of this beautiful love story for the ages.

What’s the opposite of a meet-cute in a romance? A meet-ugly? This was a meet-ugly, laid out in the first minute: As teens, Helen’s younger sister commits suicide by jumping in front of Grant’s car. 13 years later, Helen and Grant work in a writing room together. She’s a YA series author and they’re working together on the TV adaptation. Ok so this will be… fun? I mean, super specific and random setup… so points for that?

Unfortunately, I found what could have been high-drama-emotional-angst-porn to be dull AF. It took forever to get going. I didn’t like Helen; she was also dull AF and took forever to get going. Grant was adorable and I felt awful for him. I knew someone whose BF had that happen - he killed someone with his car but it was totally the pedestrian’s fault - and that shit messes you up.

Anyway, they start hooking up, knowing there’s no happy ending in store, considering her parents hate him and I guess people care what their parents think? At least Helen seems to get over holding her sister’s death against him relatively quickly, cuz he was totally blameless in that.

I just wasn’t feeling it and was super frustrated by the whole thing. Something about it just wasn’t well executed. I have no interest in re-reading it, I just wanted it to end so that I can move to the next book… these are the things that make it a 2-star read. And I’m a big fan of the Romance With Panic Attacks genre… but this didn’t do it for me. I think it comes down to Helen sucking. Sorry, Helen.

Meanwhile, in the biggest twist of all, I liked the ending of this book. I wish the rest of the book had earned that ending because I would have been all heart-eyes about it. But, you know… Helen. (Got this early from NetGalley. $10 says it’s gonna be huuuuge.)

This is a book that is presented as a love story, but it delves into some very serious topics related to trauma and grief and forgiveness. How to End a Love Story opens with the funeral of Helen Zhang's 16-year-old sister, who died by suicide, jumping in front of the vehicle driven by Grant Shepard, one of Helen's classmates in high school. Helen and Grant manage to avoid each other until one day, Helen's book series is optioned for a TV series and Grant is working on the writing team adapting her books. Obviously, he is not a welcome addition to the writing team and their initial weeks together are fraught and full of tension.
Overall, I enjoyed this story, and I found the way that Helen and Grant worked through their trauma and grief together and found each other in the process. That said, I still felt like the jump they made from enemies to friends was glossed over and just didn't quite jive for me. As they transition to lovers, the sexual tension was very satisfying, but the very spicy sex scenes felt a bit off to me all the same. I'm honestly having a hard time putting my finger on exactly what rubbed me the wrong way about them, so overall that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book as a whole. In particular, I enjoyed this book for being a romance with serious substance and grit.
Thank you to BookClubGirl, Avon and Harper Voyage, and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

There's a lot to love here in Yulin Kuang's debut, with the entire premise being something that is immediately captivating in a way that you would expect from a screenwriter. Where this story loses me somewhat is with the sex scenes that felt oddly out of place, or maybe just out of character, along with conflict that was incredibly dragged out. This is where a third act breakup really just pissed me off, and not in a way that I enjoy being frustrated in a story. There's a lot of room for growth with this author, and I can't wait to see what she writes next!