This was one of my highly anticipated books of this year. On one hand, this is an admirable romance debut from screenwriter/director Yulin Kuang. It follows a great formula and makes sure to deliver on its promises of high angst, spice, romance, and an exploration of grief, especially in immigrant families. I can see what they were trying to do and for the most part, I do think they succeeded in doing so.

I actually finished this in one day because a) it was fast-paced, easy prose to read and b)I found that I enjoyed reading about screenwriters and our characters. There was an underlying tension in the forbidden romance between Helen and Grant that kept me wondering what would happen next and how they would manage to get past the very obvious elephant in the room.

On the other hand, there was a strange moment in the book that really soured the experience for me.

The things I enjoyed:
I thought our FMC Helen was actually pretty relatable. As a daughter of an immigrant, I really resonated with how she dealt with the grief of her sister's death individually and as a part of the family. A lot of the themes explored regarding this were really well done and not on the nose. Yulin expertly weaved in the distance between Helen and her parents and her Chinese identity without it being heavy-handed and I, for one, actually really appreciated this. How this all then translated into Helen's stiff personality and her tendency to keep people at a distance, even those that she loves, because she doesn't like being comforted and can't put names to her feelings, is a very common trait in eldest immigrant daughters. I thought the way Yulin wrote her was very relatable.

I also thought the way the romance was explored was great and Yulin's background in screenwriting really shines through with her ability to maneuver us around a setting, and especially through the dialogue as well. I could really see this as a movie and I think that's a pro on Yulin's part.

It was also interesting and fresh to get a peek behind the "Writier's Room" and see how books are adapted for the screen. Yulin was able to translate her knowledge on this field without adding too much jargon and gave us a look behind the curtain which I thought was a fascinating take on the main character as a writer trope.

The things I disliked:
The main reason why this is not an automatic 5 stars is because of the extremely dramatic, over-the-top, almost soap opera-esque turn of the third conflict. Yulin chose to do a very strange 2 conflict third act that makes absolutely NO SENSE and actually cheapens the story. I thought we were doing SO well after the first conflict in the third act, but the second I flipped the page and realized what she was planning to do, I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Especially because there was NO REASON for it to be so melodramatic (and also anticlimactic because this second conflict added nothing to progress the story). I found it really cringe and really wished that didn't happen because it all seemed to go downhill after that.

While I liked Helen's FMC POV, I actually was pretty neutral about Grant as our MC POV. I couldn't figure out his personality and although we kept being told he was charming and able to carry the room, I just didn't see it translate in his POV or his actions. There was nothing setting him apart from any other MC that could have taken his place and I think using dual POV was actually a disservice to the book. At times, it was jarring to switch from one POV to the other within a page and while this might work for a screenplay, because both actors require their notes and directions, it was difficult to follow in a book. I can understand wanting to explore the grief through Grant's POV as well since he was affected by the accident, I just didn't necessarily need a POV for each event that took place and sometimes one outshone the other. Moreover, exploring Grant's POV didn't necessarily bring anything new to the table that readers couldn't already infer, other than maybe a more personal examination of his mental health. I don't know, I just felt like it made the book really long and I felt at times it really dragged since there had to be a conflict resolution for both characters.

Yulin also resorted to a lot of verbiage repetition, which is likely due to their screenwriting background. Words like "hm", "huh", and "growled" were the usual dialogue tags, and while this was offputting in how often they were used and thus, pulled me out of the book, I did read the arc so perhaps this will be fixed in the final product. I can't wait to see where Yulin goes next and also how they will adapt Emily Henry's books.

Thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for an arc

As a first-born daughter of immigrant parents that has spent her whole life making up for her younger siblings' choices, this book made me feel seen, but don't get me wrong - it's still a love story about two very broken people that find their way to each other, regardless of the "impossible" (Helen's words, not mine) situation they're in.

Helen Zhang, author of a best-selling YA series turning into a TV show and sister of Michelle who killed herself by jumping out in front of a car, now finds herself sharing a writer's room with Grant Shephard, producer and driver of said car that Helen's sister jumped out in front of. Both of these MCs have done everything they can to avoid their past that doesn't seem to let go of them because, well, trauma and grief just don't work that way.

Kuang touches on all of the most important parts of keeping the perfect pretenses up for our parents' sake and how we have to navigate through life because the world continues to spin, even when someone else's seems to stop. While some things are a little TOO real, like Grant's panic attacks that seem to have stopped after Helen helps him through one and Helen's parents never really saying sorry and moving on, I loved being able to live in the parts that are still, indeed, fiction. This HEA was everything I needed after a third-act breakup that tore me to shreds.

Thank you Yulin for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Helen, now an author, meets back up with Grant, now a screenwriter, thirteen years after the tragedy that entwined their lives together.

Contemp romance is not my fave romance because I usually cry and this book delivered. This was my first book about screenwriters and it really piqued my interest-loved the screenwriters room “talk!” I liked the characters, especially Helen and her Chinese immigrant parents. There were scenes that had me giggling (at the cabin), and scenes that had me crying (letter to sister). It was not a fast read - it was more serious, and a bit sad, but the healing made it worth the work. I really enjoyed the writing and I could picture the hotel scene in my head playing out as a movie. Loved the quote: “Loving can hurt but I want to do it anyway!” I totally recommend reading!

*author is a screenwriter and director for Emily Henry’s Beach Read
*TW - suicide
*you will like if you like: finding love (and it ain’t easy), shared trauma, the writing world, healing, and character growth!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for the Advanced Reader Copy

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book made me so emotional wow. These character’s chemistry and tension was so so good!!

Helen is an author getting her book adapted for a tv show and Grant is one of the writers for the show adaption. The catch is he was involved in the car crash that killed Helen’s sister and they haven’t spoken in YEARS. the tension between them and processing of grief was palpable. This kinda felt like La La Land in book form (but with a happier ending!). I don’t wanna spoil too much since it’s just a great read start to finish.

If you like your romance books with introspective themes, THIS IS FOR YOU!! There is spice as well, for sure open door.

I hope Yulin Kuang writes more books, I’d read them in a heartbeat!

Trigger warnings: suicide, sexual scenes, car crashes, panic attacks.

Helen and Grant haven’t seen each other once in thirteen years, not since graduating high school after the tragic accident and death of Helen’s sister Michelle. In the years since they have last seen each other, Helen has become an author to a YA series that is being adapted to TV series. Grant is a Hollywood screen writer that unbeknownst to Helen has been hired to work on the television show.

This book was beautifully written and handles the relationship between two people who have such a complex and tragic backstory with such care. I loved that we were able to get the perspective of both characters because I feel like it provides the reader with a better understanding of both Helen and Grant. I loved that we got to see Helen throughout her healing journey as this felt incredibly vital to understanding Helen. I really enjoyed this one – it was both heartwarming and heartbreaking in the best way. I can’t wait to read more by this author in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What a debut! Yulin Kuang's 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘛𝘰 𝘌𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 is a compelling story that touches on love, grief, family, and acceptance. Haunted by a tragedy only they could really understand, Helen and Grant are tied; suddenly, they are thrusted into working together years later after Helen's book is picked up to be adapted as a TV show and Grant is hired on as a writer.

Kuang writing is sharp, witty, and incredibly raw. Both Helen and Grant's journey is not an easy one, but the love that develops from it is so tender and passionate; there's spice, but there's also so many subtle moments—kisses on the back of the hand, brushing of hair behind the ear, tracing of palms—god, they were so in love before they even realized it!

There's so much angst and uncertainty that surrounds their relationship on top of that, but it was understandable due to their circumstances. It also serves as a reminder that they are both human, that love is not linear, that grief is always with you. Helen's character spoke to me in many ways, but specifically her dynamic with her parents. I felt seen in ways I've never been seen. Her relationship with them is so violently relatable it made me emotional.

This is a must read for lovers of imperfect love stories, Emily Henry, and really, anyone who just wants their books to hurt them (before it gets better, of course). I cannot wait to see what Yulin Kuang puts out next.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘈𝘷𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸!

*Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

This book is absolutely devastating in the best way. A mix of romance, drama, and literary fiction, How to End a Love Story is novel I'll never forget. It reads like a screenplay, which is fitting seeing as she's a screenwriter by trade. I found the action to be compelling and really enjoyed the scenes in the writers' room. The depictions of grief and loss felt so real and written with care. Helen and Grant are messy together but you can't help but root for them throughout.

And YOURS!? Heartwrenched.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

This was a super cute story. I enjoyed this book. It reminded me of books by Emily Henry or Tessa Bailey. I thought Yulin Kang wrote beautiful characters. The romance was also very well written. I am definitely going to look for more books by Yulin Kang in the future!
–

Connect with Me <3

My blog is https://bookreviewsbyjules.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/44083250-julia (follow me and/or send a friend request!)

Instagram/bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookreviewsbyjules/ (I follow back all Book accounts)

Substack: https://bookreviewsbyjules.substack.com/ (feel free to subscribe!)

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bookreviewsbyjules?lang=en

StoryGraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/bookreviewsbyjules

As a fan of Emily Henry and knowing that Yulin Kuang is screenwriting her books, I knew I wanted to read this novel the second it was announced and was fortunate enough to receive an ARC.

Yulin Kuang is a phenomenal writer. I truly felt like I could visualize each and every one of the scenes in the book as if it were playing out in front of me. Her character descriptions and development had me captivated. How to End a Love Story had me laughing and crying and aching for a happily ever after for such a tortured couple of main characters. I woke up early and went to bed late to read this book.

I just finished a couple of hours ago and I'm already wishing I could read it again for the first time.

Definitely recommend, but review the content warnings before diving in -- it tackles some pretty heavy themes from page 1.

5/5, could not put this book down. This book was heartwarming and amazing and I can not wait to read what Yulin Kuang writes next.
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager, Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! Expected publication: April 2, 2024

This was a good one!
Having not read anything by Yulin Kuang before, I was unsure what to expect from this romance. What I got was lightyears beyond my expectations and a truly wonderful read.
First off: This story has some darkness to it. It's realistic and feels earned, but I do feel it's important to research trigger warnings before reading. The dark and uncomfortable parts of this book are a big part of why I love it so much. It's raw, gritty, messy and incredible for character development and reader investment.
Second: So often the enemies-to-lovers trope is overhyped and poorly done. This is an excellent example of how to do it effectively. There is a clear and realistic reason why our female main character does not like or want any involvement with our male main character. So much so, that I think the development of this story is pretty extraordinary in how it progresses this trope so organically given the past trauma involved for our characters.
Third: This story is sexy and also romantic! Truly! That shouldn't be a shock when it comes to a romance, but so often the spicy is done poorly, or there's too much of it, or there aren't any romantic moments, or the attempts at true romance are clunky and awkward. Kuang is able to deftly navigate romance and spiciness, which is absolutely fantastic for the reader.
Fourth: Third act conflicts can be a bit of a make-or-break for me when it comes to a romance read. Fortunately, this book stuck that landing! It's understandable and does truly seem insurmountable and I felt so so deeply for our main characters as the conflict ran its course.
I just adored this story and I hope you pick up this book so you can adore it too!

Hands down this is going to be my favorite romance of the year. I actually don't even know how to review it because it was so emotional to me. A romance where it feels like the conflict is insurmountable - how can two people, tied together by grief and the death of Helen's sister, overcome something so huge? I truly didn't know how Yulin was going to get us there but she did. It hurt a lot. But the ending is so worth it.

Yulin has tension throughout the book in a way that is literally heart pounding. Whether it's the tension of their hatred toward each other in the beginning, turning into the tension of will they/won't they (that couch scene alone with the fingers truly messed me up I was RIVETED), into the tension of how Helen would be able to have Grant and also not disappoint her parents. It felt like a thriller: just emotions on a rollercoaster, sweaty anxiety matched with sweaty swoony. Once Grant and Helen start to figure out their feelings, things seem smooth but they are anything but.

I loved Helen: stoic, scared but not able to show it. She felt like externally someone people would call emotionless but because we were in her head we knew she feels every little thing. "You feel a lost of responsibility for other people's feelings." WHEW. I mean Helen's feelings about her sister alone could be a whole book. She is DEEP and feels so deeply, but sometimes doesn't seem able to allow herself to. And Grant: grieving the accidental death he caused, unable to fully show people his true self, but only showing a mask. I don't think I've seen grief portrayed in this way, so differently, by two main characters. Just absolutely beautiful.

And the writing? Absolutely stunning. "She thinks perhaps this is the only angle from which to catch a glimpse of this version of Grant, slightly off to the side and looking up toward him." Idk why but lines like this just wrecked me. Or... "Grant shoots her a crooked, reassuring smile that seems to wedge right into a wobbling corner of her heart. Almost there, it seems to say." MY GOD. Or my favorite.... "she could still write an entire book of poems about all the ways she breaks her mother's heart in a day." I just.....

"She isn't sure why her heart feels like it's breaking when it hasn't been working properly in years anyway." Yulin, gosh wreck me why don't you. And. the letters she writes to her sister, about the kind of love that she wishes she had and wishes she deserved??? I am still a mess.

What more can I say?

Overall I give it 4 ⭐️!

This was really well written and I’m excited for more from Yulin Kuang! The first 50% was really interesting and I loved the push and pull from the two main characters. I think once they got together it got slow and we were just waiting for the inevitable third act breakup. I really liked how the characters were flawed and relatable. Helen feeling like love will never happen to her and hating hugs or any sort of comforting had me seeing myself in her and Grant’s anxiety and his problem with not having anyone to go to because he knows a lot of people but he doesn’t have that one person he can go to no matter what also had me seeing myself in him. I loved the side characters and I really like how the ending was a little bow on top. The story did cover heavy topics and honestly I don’t think I would ever be able to get over that if I was in the story. I think the story would have been more interesting if in the past the two main characters had a connection other than the sister like they barely knew each other so the impact of what happened was not that deep however I still think it’s good and worth a read.

3.5 stars! I liked this but didn’t love it and I can’t quite figure out why. The premise is a hard one to overcome and I didn’t totally connect with either of the characters’ POV. I did really like the meta-ness of the peek behind the writers room curtain, and thought the writing was strong, which gives me hope for Kuang’s work on the Emily Henry adaptations. I would definitely still read her next book!

Helen is a bestselling YA author who has the incredible opportunity to be in the writer's room when her series is being turned into a TV show. Little does she know, someone from her past is also in the writers room. Back in high school, Helen didn't really know Grant. Until one night when her sister commits suicide and runs in front of the car Grant is driving - an event that both Helen and Grant are still grappling with 13 years later. Helen initially makes it incredibly clear that she doesn't want to work with Grant but vows to be professional. The one thing Helen can't be is attracted to Grant, given their history. And yet...

My GOODNESS I loved this book! I truly couldn't put it down despite the heaviness of it - it was so engaging, enthralling, and emotional!

This book reads a bit like a screenplay but in a way that I think really works for this story - I could certainly see it being a movie of it's own. It's a story of two deeply damaged people coming together despite the odds stacked against them. It's angsty and gritty but also lovely and sweet. The pining that happens in this book even when the characters are together is unmatched. It also genuinely feels like a love story that could happen - you don't have to suspend your disbelief. The emotions are deep and heartwrenching but also help you to understand the characters better. The found family in that writers room was so lovely and I wanted to be friends with them all!

And this book weirdly had a third act breakup that I didn't hate?? I think it's a case where the breakup really needed to happen for Helen in particular to really recognize her emotions and unresolved grief both in relation to her sister's death and her parents handling of it. I also like that the breakup lasted a few months in the book, since my usual gripe with third act breakups is that the breakup is brief and often neither character does any work on themselves. I also like that when Helen decides to get in contact with Grant again, she does so knowing that her parents may never truly accept him. And we see that in their interactions with him in the end of the book - I think that unresolvedness is incredibly realistic.

I do recommend looking up the trigger warnings before reading as there are some pretty big ones and they are discussed quite a bit throughout the book.

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A stunning debut that filled me with melancholy, longing, and wanting. Told in alternating POVs within each chapter, Kuang's debut is tightly written and expertly paced.

How to End a Love Story follows Helen, a YA author whose best-selling series has been optioned for TV, and Grant, the second in command of the writer's room for the show. But Helen and Grant's connection is far deeper and more bitter. In high school, Grant was driving the minivan that hit and killed Helen's sister, Michelle. The accident wasn't an accident, her sister had committed suicide. This dark history puts the two at odds in the writer's room, though the forced proximity turns their disdain into a relationship.

It's hard to fully convey the emotions of this book. Grant and Helen pine for each other while they are still together. There's a sense of longing and wanting, for each other in the moment and for something more in the future. It's melancholic as both Helen and Grant still grapple with what Michelle's suicide did to each of them. There's conflict in the fact that Helen can't imagine her parents ever accepting Grant. There's tension in Helen feeling resentful of her immigrant parents, of feeling somehow removed from who they are and who they want her to be. Those emotions stick with you throughout the story. You desperately want Helen and Grant to be okay, individually and together.

I'll be honest, until now, I've been worried about the adaption of Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation. However, this book has left me hopeful that she'll bring the same love and care to those books that she brought to her own.

* Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for access to the eARC in exchange for my honest review! *

Helen's younger and quite depressed sister, Michelle, steps in front of a moving car, while both girls are in High School. Grant is the school football star and he is behind the wheel of that moving car. Years go by and Helen and Grant just happen to start working on a project together in Los Angeles. Though Helen "hates" Grant for his part in Michelle's suicide, she finds herself attracted to him. A rollercoaster of romance ensues, and both Helen and Grant learn about love, forgiveness, healing and moving on.

This is a sweet story, but Helen is a kind of irritating character, who's decisions don't really seem to make sense. There's a lot of (maybe too much?) steamy sex going on in this story. Early in my reading, I was really ready for the book to end. I did find the ending satisfying but predictable.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review How to End a Love Story.

This was incredible! Beautifully written and paced, and most of all so incredibly tender, sweet, and swoon-worthy. I'm so impressed by this being Yulin Kuang's debut and I really can't wait to see how she adapt's Emily Henry's novel.

3.5 stars

What if, despite your best efforts, you find yourself falling in the man who's technically responsible for the death your sister and is now working on the TV adaptation of your best-selling book?

Thirteen years after her sister died by suicide, Helen Zhang is still grieving and has unresolved anger towards her sister and parents. Despite her success, she's suffering from writers block and is lonely after her her fellow writer friends subtly distance themselves. Her grief finds a target when she discovers Grant Shepard is second-in-charge of the writing team of her book and he's everything she's not - personable, affable and able to fit in with the team. Yet she doesn't realise Grant has PTSD attacks resulting from her sister involving him in her death.

With Emily Henry's endorsement, I was eager to read Yulin Kuang's 'How to End a Love Story'. There's fantastic insight into how a writer's room works thanks to Kuang being a screenwriter. I also liked the subtle touches that many of us who are first generation born to immigrant parents will get (e.g. the way Helen 'confronts' her parents over withholding about Grant's involvement in her show.).

Unfortunately this book was let down by an incomplete character journey that made me not buy the romance. I struggled how to rate this because her writing style is strong and the plot is intriguing, but I felt I was told more than shown their chemistry and romantic connection. Helen and Grant are both broken people who feel undeserving of love, but it felt like they were trauma bonding via a lot of sex. If this book focussed more on Helen dealing with her grief without Grant's involvement in her sister's death then perhaps that might've worked better.

Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the ARC.

RATING: 2.75/5 STARS

I really wanted to like HOW TO END A LOVE STORY more than I did. I've read books with this type of premise that were done better than this book. I did not connect with the main characters Helen and Grant at all, and was not sold on their love story. There were romantic moments that were well written, but the amount of angst and unnecessary conflict in this plot was over the top and kind of exhausting. The author does have a good writing style and composes her scenes well, so I am optimistic about her adaptation of Emily Henry's work.