YULIN KUANG!!! i’m excited to see her grow as an author and can’t wait to read more from her!

I think this is technically closer to a 3.5⭐️ for me but there were so many things i loved about it i had to give it 4. i could tell from the first two chapters this was going to be a good book! the writing had personality and made me feel like i was chatting with my friends, not reading a book. it was so compulsive and easy to read, and i fell in love with the characters.

the story was somehow both horny and heartfelt … the romance is really fun but i think this is also how it fell off the path to 5 stars for me. given the subject matter, all the spice took away from what i had hoped to be a more insightful healing journey for both the main characters. we didn’t really get that until the very end. i would have liked to see them share more “graveyard moments” throughout the book.

i also wanted a bit more meaningful plot from the screenwriting/producing aspect too! i was really intrigued given kuang’s background, but it was mostly used as a plot device for a character-driven story.

again, there’s so much to love about this book, especially if you’re into steamy romance! kuang has a distinct voice that grips you and makes you want to read more! plus she wrote a man who BEGS and what more can a girl ask for?

thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this arc!

A sweet and heartbreaking story -- I would have loved to learn more about Helen and Grant as teenagers and some of my favorite parts were when they were back in their home town. I also loved how unapologetic the author was when talking about therapy and how important it is for processing trauma.

If you enjoy angsty, emotional, complex, character-driven, contemporary stories that draw you in and refuse to let go, How to End a Love Story is a book you'll want to read. I'm still thinking about these characters and I have a feeling I'll continue to do so for some time to come.

Based on the cover, title, and blurb, I really had no idea what to expect from this book other than it sounded interesting. What I found was a fascinating character study, compelling journey, and unexpected romance that kept me flipping pages well into the night. Shocking prologue aside, once the present-day story began it took a while for me to become invested in the main characters. And yet, even though I felt a bit disconnected, especially from Helen, I couldn't turn away from her either. Kuang's writing kept me tethered to the story as she slowly began to reveal layers of both Helen and Grant, two complex, multi-layered characters with one very complicated past. By the time I reached the midway point of the book, I was fully invested with no idea how Helen and Grant would ever overcome the obstacles keeping them apart or if being together was even a possibility.

In addition to the romance (and it is a romance), this book also takes readers behind the scenes into the writing room and production of the television series being adapted from Helen's books. As a television screenwriter and director herself, Kuang brought authenticity to this facet of the book, immersing me in the atmosphere and process of actual television production. It was like having a seat at the writer's table and being a guest on set.

The author tackled some difficult, possibly triggering, topics in this book including family death and suicide. It's the first book I've read where the author explores the fallout from a death on both the surviving family as well as the surviving person who is blamed for the death. Factor in cultural expectations, complicated family dynamics, love, and guilt, as well as unexpected, enemies-to-lovers romance and you have a cauldron of emotions waiting to bubble over. It's an emotional roller coaster for both the characters and the reader but necessary for the growth, forgiveness, and healing that have been waiting in the wings for thirteen years.

I'll be looking for more from this talented debut author.

4.5 Stars
ARC received from publisher via NetGalley
Fair and unbiased review

Helen Zhang is a successful YA author whose bestselling series is being adapted into a TV show. She is excited to be helping in the writers' room until she realizes that Grant Shepard is also working on the show--the same Grant Shepard she hasn't seen since a tragic accident bound them together in high school. Helen is still harboring anger and grief over this event years later and struggles to work with Grant. Grant, for his part, really needs the career advances that will come from working on such a high-profile show, even though he knows Helen doesn't want him there. As the two try to work through their feelings, they must figure out if they will ever be able to move on from the past to have a future.

Unfortunately this book was a miss for me and I ended up skimming the last half or so. The writing style really grated on me--it wasn't bad per se, but there were a LOT of italics and emphasis on what felt like every other word. It made everything feel very dramatic in a sort of juvenile way. I also was just not convinced the entire premise was workable/realistic--whether two people involved in a tragedy in that way would be able to get past their negative feelings to find love. I'm not sure the author convincingly explained the switch in Helen's feelings for Grant. The switch from "hate" to "lust" felt very abrupt and unnatural and threw me out of things. I also felt like a number of threads were introduced and then sort of left dangling--there were references to Helen's writer's block and Grant's anxiety that were mentioned a few times but never fully explored.

The most powerful and emotional scenes in the book are when Helen is processing her grief over her sister. The book would have been much better, in my opinion, if it had focused on that. The author writes very compellingly about the confusing mix of grief, love, anger, and sadness that Helen experiences while trying to come to terms with her sister's actions. I didn't enjoy the overall book but I did find those sections very moving.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

I originally had interest in this book because of Yulin Kuang's connection to the two Emily Henry adaptations and was intrigued to read her debut novel. The plot description was absolutely wild, because how do we go from tragedy between two people to falling in love???

The writing style took me a second to get used to. I usually don't mind third person POVs, but for some reason Kuang's third person just seemed clunky and I felt like it didn't flow well. Once I got used to her writing style, I enjoyed the story much more. As a whole I really enjoyed the characters and the plot of this book. The event leading up to the third-act breakup was a liiiiitle cliche for me in terms of what we already know of the story. I don't always mind a third-act breakup, but to get there the reasons need to be legitimate and not just for the sake of plot, which is what I felt happened here.

While How to End a Love Story was a pretty good read and I'll probably read her next novels, it leaves me more interested to see what Yulin Kuang does with Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation as they get adapted.

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

Helen is still trying to get over her sister Michelle’s suicide 13 years later; she is a best selling YA writer and her book is now being made into a TV series and is temporarily moving to LA to help with the show. Grant was the homecoming king, all around most handsome and loved high school jock whose life came crashing down when Helen’s sister walked in front of his car. While on the surface he has a successful screenwriting Hollywood life, but he still has panic attacks and can’t sustain anything beyond a superficial relationship. Neither Helen nor Grant are thrilled to have their lives intersect again when Grants ends up as the second in command of the writer’s room on Helen’s show, but slowly Helen and Grant realize that not only are they incredibly attracted to each other, but that they can find forgiveness for Michelle’s death together.

While the premise of forbidden love seems to veer a bit darker than a romance should want to go, this actually remained light in many ways (it may have been the spice level on this one which was, shall we say…umm spicier than I am used to). But I ended up enjoying watching these two come together as a couple and learn through each other’s trauma and in the end there was redemption through love. However, I did find the relationship and the story at times too unrealistic to fully enjoy. That being said, I will certainly pick up Yulin Kuang’s next book.

3.75 rounded to 4

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC to review

Author Helen Zhang is trilled when her YA novel is granted a tv adaptation and she is invited to join the writers room but is less than happy to learn one of the writers on the show is Grant Shephard. Grant was the golden boy of their high school and the person behind the wheel when Helen’s sister ran in front of his car and died by suicide. Neither quite know what to do with the other as both are still living with the trauma from their shared history 12 years ago. They learn to get along and work together which leads to attraction. They try to keep their relationship strictly physical but despite their best efforts, feelings become involved.

I was not sure what to expect with this book and was absolutely blown away. The book is a perfect blend of melancholy, joy, and lots and lots of feelings. I love a book where people who don’t want to catch feelings come down with the bad and the longing between these two was absolutely palpable. I absolutely loved both Grand and Helen. The depictions of grief and the pain of what happens after a loved one dies by suicide felt very authentic and were handled in a loving way. I cannot stress enough how talented of a writer Yulin is. Her experience as a screenwriter comes across as she is able to wonderfully show and not just tell exactly what her characters are doing. There is not once ounce of fluff that does not move the story forward. It was a book that I did not want to put down and read in a single day. I wish Yulin had a large back catalog for me to go and reread. I was truly shocked to learn this was a debut novel. I will be rereading it and ordering myself a copy.

I am excited to see what Yulin writes next and very excited now for her to direct Beach Read and her adaptation of People We Meet on Vacation. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Whew! In awe Kuang pulled off such a dark and heavy situation here with so much finesse. Tonally, this was a bit different than I expected, but overall had me swooning. Excited to see what she does next!

4.5 stars. I absolutely loved this debut romance from an author that has been involved in some of the adaptations of Emily Henry books (both screen writing and directing). I loved how Grant and Helen's relationship developed throughout the book - they had so much baggage between them and I think that was reflected through the ups and downs of their interactions. I loved how Kuang showed them both working on their own personal healing both independently and with each other. I do wish that Grant's mental health struggles had been explored a bit more, but that is pretty much my only quibble with the book. I loved the peek inside a writer's room for a series show and how that works, and I loved how close all of the writers become during their time together (I really hope that found family happens in real life). This one had SO MUCH STEAM, and I was here for it. I think I read this one at just the right time, and I know it will stay with me. I can definitely see myself coming back to reread this one, and I almost never say that!

I haven’t disliked a book this much in quite a while. This was really icky trauma bonding. It just felt icky from page 5 and I can’t understand how these 2 characters could ever come together. It felt very unrealistic, strange and uncomfortable.

On top of all that it was also boring.

You can just tell catching Yulin Kuang at her debut is getting in at the ground floor of something special. The screenwriter/director has done something romance authors with far more titles under their belts only begin to accomplish. Perhaps it’s no surprise, given her day job, that Kuang weaves together romance with pain, joy, the fallout from a horrific family tragedy, the experience of being a child of immigrants, sex, and workplace humor with such a deft hand. You can tell this is someone who spends a lot of time thinking about what makes a story work: pacing, characters, plot. It certainly doesn’t hurt that she’s at the helm of not one but two Emily Henry screen adaptations, so she’s absolutely learning the art of writing romance that will make you sob, crack you up, and turn you on, from the very best. In Helen and Grant, Kuang gives us a couple loaded with chemistry, and burdened with genuine trauma that frankly, for once, is actually a very good reason not to be together without making their relationship toxic. Outside the romance, Kuang paints vivid portraits of parents struggling to parent after a shattering event, the complicated struggle of loving someone who doesn’t love themselves and is no longer around to forgive or be forgiven. The scenes in the writers room, on the other hand, are funny and filled with characters I enjoyed getting to hang out with.

CW: Those who are sensitive to descriptions of suicide will want to proceed with caution.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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.