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!

3.5 Stars <3

I think this book did very well with the grief in terms of Helen. Grief is ongoing and while it may not be the focus of the book as it happened in the past, it was still touched upon beautifully. While Helen misses her sister, she's still angry with her because she will never know what drove Michelle (spooky the first time I read that) to do it. Helen holds a sort of anger toward her because she doesn't have her little sister to go through life with. I think it was also heartbreaking because their last conversation was an argument that ended with both of them saying hateful things towards each other and it wasn't a death that was accidental.
Having Grant and Helen work together to complete a common goal was trying due to their past. Grant being unwillingly involved in the death of her sister has caused Hele to almost resent his existence and I think it always has to do with her parents. Having Grant at arms distance is in the sake of her parents who grieve every day over the loss of their youngest.
My main gripe about the story that led me to this rating is the inclusion of certain characters, the third-act breakup, the 'enemies-to-lovers' that wasn't really long-lasting, Helen putting the expiration date on their relationship and constantly bringing it up, the second car-accident (I feel like it didn't do anything to progress the plot) and the smut scenes (gasp I know). I think once they got over the negativity of their relationship/friendship, the smut was almost every chapter after that.
I do think, however, I would pick this up and reread and my rating can change in the future but this book was overall solid and would buy the physical copy because the cover is stunning and it was still enjoyable.

Helen is the extremely dutiful daughter of two controlling parents. All three of them have been traumatized by the death of Helen's sister, who bolted into traffic, apparently on purpose and was struck by a passing car driven by a nice young former classmate named Grant. The forced proximity trope is that Helen and Grant end up in Los Angeles working on a television series together. After a period of hostility, they find each other, and then the problem is whether to keep it going, which would destroy her parents, or break up, which would kill Helen and Grant. I found this book uneven. It took a while to get into it, but then I enjoyed it. The author did a good job of showing everyone's emotions, and they were deep. Also, it was really interesting to see how a show is developed.

This book has a lot of my favorite things: romance in the form of enemies to lovers and writing, specifically in the form of a TV writers room. I'm not sure I've seen that world depicted before and I thought it was s terrific setting for the novel.

As far as obstacles to overcome, falling in love with the man who was driving the car that killed your sister when you were teenagers is pretty high stakes and is handled well.

The book pulled me in right away -- it's an easy read in the best sense: good characters, interesting drama stakes, and some steamy scenes too. My one criticism would be that it felt a tad long to me, but overall a terrific read I'd recommend.

In "How to End a Love Story" by Yulin Kuang, readers are taken on a poignant journey of healing, forgiveness, and unexpected love. Set against the backdrop of the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, the novel explores the complexities of grief, guilt, and the power of second chances.

Helen Zhang, a bestselling author grappling with imposter syndrome, and Grant Shephard, a screenwriter haunted by his past, are brought together by fate and circumstance. Their shared history, marked by tragedy and loss, forms the foundation of their tentative reconnection. Kuang skillfully navigates their emotional journey, capturing the rawness of their pain and the tentative hope that blooms between them.

The dynamics between Helen and Grant are beautifully portrayed, with layers of complexity and nuance. Their chemistry is palpable, drawing readers into their tumultuous relationship as they navigate the challenges of working together while confronting their unresolved feelings for each other. Kuang's exploration of their individual struggles and vulnerabilities adds depth to their characters, making them relatable and endearing.

The backdrop of the entertainment industry adds an intriguing layer to the story, providing insight into the creative process and the pressures of Hollywood. Kuang's vivid descriptions of the bustling city of Los Angeles and the inner workings of the writers' room lend authenticity to the narrative, immersing readers in the glamorous yet cutthroat world of show business.

One of the strengths of the novel is Kuang's exploration of themes such as forgiveness, redemption, and self-acceptance. As Helen and Grant confront their past traumas and insecurities, they learn to confront their demons and embrace the possibility of a future together. The emotional depth and authenticity of their journey make for a compelling read that resonates long after the final page.

Overall, "How to End a Love Story" is a captivating and heartfelt tale of love, loss, and redemption. Kuang's evocative storytelling and well-drawn characters make this novel a must-read for fans of contemporary romance and literary fiction alike. With its poignant exploration of grief and healing, "How to End a Love Story" is a powerful reminder that sometimes, love has a way of finding us when we least expect it.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I specifically think this will appeal to those readers that are looking for books with some well written spice that is just explicit enough to be fun to read. Helen Zhang and Grant Shepard do not like each other. But they're also connected to each other forever because of a horrific life event (Helen's sister's death) when they were both in high school. Now as Helen's book series is being adapted for a tv show and she is at the pinnacle of success she has to deal with her past and her present which both inexplicably and to her dismay involve Grant. Grant is the number two in the writer's room for Helen's tv show and having to deal with his charming exterior every day starts to take a toll on Helen. It also becomes harder to resist.
I think the book explores Helen's character really well giving her personality depth with her feelings about her sister's death and her subsequent psychosis over all of it. It also aptly shows what it's like to grow up in an Asian immigrant household and the parental pressures that come with it.
Something I didn't love was that at times in the book the sister death just started to feel like a random death event just for the sake of making the story deeper. Spoiler ahead; I also am not a big fan of the trope where the main characters are convinced that their relationship will not work based on something that seems arbitrary in context of their big emotions for each other. I was frustrated by some of the choices the heroine made but ultimately I feel like the book tied itself up in a satisfying enough way to outweigh the frustration. All in all recommend for fans of women's fiction adjacent romance. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an ARC!

'How to End a Love Story' by Yulin Kuang is a beautiful and heart-wrenching novel that explores the complexities of grief, guilt, and love. Thirteen years after her sister's tragic death, Helen Zhang has built a successful career as a young adult author and is now working on a TV adaptation of her series. But beneath her seemingly perfect life, she's struggling with writer's block and the constant fear of being exposed as a fraud.
When Helen's childhood friend and the cause of her sister's death, Grant Shephard, shows up as her new boss on the TV show, she's forced to confront her past and the unresolved feelings she has for him. As they work together, their undeniable chemistry and shared history make it difficult for Helen to keep her guard up. But with their families still holding onto grudges and secrets threatening to surface, their relationship is put to the test.
Kuang's writing is poignant and evocative, making it impossible not to feel deeply for these characters. Helen and Grant are both flawed and complex, with layers of emotions and trauma that shape their actions and decisions. The way their past intertwines with their present is beautifully woven, creating a sense of tension and longing.
The story also delves into the behind-the-scenes world of TV writing, giving readers a glimpse into the creative process and the dynamics of a writers' room. Kuang's own experience as a TV writer shines through in the details, adding authenticity to the story.
One of the strengths of this book is the exploration of grief and how it affects different people. Helen and Grant's reactions to the loss of her sister are vastly different, but both are struggling to come to terms with it in their own ways. It's a reminder that there is no right or wrong way to grieve and that healing takes time. Overall, 'How to End a Love Story' is a powerful and emotional read that will stay with you long after you finish the last page. Kuang's writing is exquisite, and her characters are so well-developed that you can't help but root for them. This book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a heartfelt and honest love story.

i had a hard time moving forward from the past history that the romantic leads had, the trauma they inflicted upon each other in such a hard time is so hard to get past and i just couldn’t suspend my belief that they could

Yulin Kuang’s debut novel was an absolute home run. I finished this novel in less than 24 hours and was so sad for it to end. It follows the story of author Helen as she navigates working in the writing room of her novel turned to tv show. She is greeted on the first day of work by Grant, someone from her past. Grant and Helen are tied by the tragic death of Helen’s sister. In this enemies to lovers novel, we are treated to the best combination of raw and honest dialogue, the perfect amount of steam, and a chance to full understand how their love story evolves. It was a brilliantly written romance novel and I cannot wait to see what she does next!

The screenwriter for Emily Henry’s novels wrote a book? Sign me up!

I was so excited to dive into this novel, but darn it, I just struggled seeing the connection between Helen and Grant. Sure, they’re connected by a terrible tragedy, but does that mean they should be together? By the end, I wasn’t quite so sure.

On a side note, I did love the scenes where the screenwriters would get together. You can tell it’s Kuang’s sweet spot!