I wasn't a huge fan of this one! I was really excited to read it considering Emily Henry gave her thumbs-up on the front cover. But it read like a script instead of a story. I had a hard time connecting with the characters, no emotions were felt. I had. really high expectations considering this is the screenwriter for EmHen's screen adaptation, but was really let down. this is rated 2.75 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for sending me this book!

If you want a spicy romance that will also have you feeling emotional, this book is for you!

I will say, please check your content warnings before picking this up, because it does deal with some trauma that plays into how the two MC meet and their dynamic in the beginning. This mutual trauma is also discussed on page. So please, please keep that in mind.

Yulin's writing is so beautiful and it made me so excited to see what Yulin did with Beach Read's adaptation. In addition to the writing, what I loved was the MC's journey to ultimately deal with her trauma and her journey of self-love. Her love story is tied to this journey and just know that there are some bumps along the way -- I'm trying not to spoil anything! Lol. As a fellow TV writer, Yulin perfectly captures the dynamic of a writers room and I really appreciated how she navigated that alongside their love story.

This romance is definitely emo, so if you're only into reading rom-coms, this won't be for you. These two characters deal with grief, regret, and anxiety, so again, check your content warnings.

I loved this book and can't wait to see what Yulin does next!

Thanks to NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow. When I first heard Yulin was writing a BOOK I knew I had to get me hands on it. I’ve been eagerly anticipating this book ever since, and now that I have read it I can absolutely say it lives up to all of the hype.

I went in somewhat blind, pretty much trusting the author to write a story I’d want to read. I wasn’t expecting the angsty plot line of “boy drives car. Girl TW <spoiler>jumps in front of car to end her life.</spoiler> Girl’s sister is left to cope with the loss and the compounded expectations of her parents in the absence of a second child. Girl grows up and ends up working with the boy and through a vulnerable workplace setting falls in love with the boy who she has always said unalived her sister.”

That is some angsty plot, and under other circumstances I think it could have deterred me. But Yulin expertly weaves tension and resentment and yearning and hope all together to make a downright addictive story.

I sacrificed sleep for this book, and it was worth every second I bargained away.

So why 4.5 ⭐️? There were just a few minor plot points that could have been filled out better, I think. Particularly: that Helen says she has been seeing a therapist for years, but her negative self dialogue and low self-worth are entirely unhealthy and unchallenged beliefs for her. I can’t imagine a therapist wouldn’t have clocked those issues and tried to address them.

Those little details aside, I am smitten with this book. I ship Helen and Grant hard, I learned unite a lot about perspectives on grief and grieving, and the tv production details were handled excellently—not too weedy, but not too sparse, either. This is an easy addition to my best reads of the year list. If you aren’t planning to read it, I’m telling you: change your plans.

Bravo to Kuang for tackling such heavy trauma and grief while also crafting a satisfying romance. The third person, present-tense narration creates a unique tone that might not be for everyone, but feels very distinct.

I really enjoyed this book! I am excited to see what comes next from Yulin Kuang. I thought there was a lot of vulnerability portrayed in her writing and the themes of loss, grief, and mental health were handled beautifully. My only critique is about the pacing of the book. At first, I found that I could not connect with the main characters at all, and I felt I didn't know anything about them. Once I got to the point where I felt like I was really invested in the characters and their outcomes, it became rushed and then it was done. I wish there was more of the middle part. Overall, I highly recommend this book, especially if you like a little bit of spice ;)

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this ARC!

The pacing is perfect, and the set up—the back and forth between their POVs, especially when they’re sharing a scene—helps keep both the pacing and tension relevant to the scenes and overall story. I haven’t read many books that can do this well, so I was happy when this one didn’t disappoint.

A beautiful, tender, moving and sexy debut. The love story is fantastic, but this book is so much more than just a romance. I loved the way the author wove in the themes of grief, being the child of immigrant parents and anxiety into the story. I was also impressed by how seamlessly the author shifted between the two points of view within the same chapter with no headings. I was never confused as to whose POV it was.

A great debut from a new autobuy romance author! I loved the premise and deep themes of the book combined with the emotional romance. I was so invested in the characters and their relationship! Definitely recommend.

I loved the pacing and emotional depth of this book. It is a wonderful option for the romance lover looking for something a little deeper, for readers who enjoy Emily Henry and Abby Jiminez, while still getting a nice helping of spice. It was so interesting to have it set in the television/screenwriting world and see a peek into the industry. I will absolutely be recommending this title.

I loved parts of this book, and I was also a little lost on some of it. The beginning was really good, but pieces of Helen and Grant felt like an add-on to me, rather than fully developed complex characters. Grant’s panic attacks make sense, and I feel like it was trying to illustrate the lack of true connection in his life, in a way that made him similar to Helen. They just felt not quite right for some reason, maybe that they were kind of touch and go in regards to how they came up. The beginning of Grant and Helen’s situationship didn't make sense to me either, and his weird obsession with her playing a game or feeling in control? It didn’t really add up in regards to the rest of her personality, to me, and I don’t quite understand where that perspective of his was coming from. The complexity of Helen’s relationship with her parents made sense, and was an area of the story I felt was fully realized. Overall, I enjoyed it being a rom-com feeling book with some substance, with the darker storyline of Helen’s sister.

Grant Shepard and Helen Zhang have a history going back to high school - and it's not a happy one. When they meet again in a TV writer's room over a decade later, Helen is horrified and angry. But as the two start working together and getting to know one another as adults, they begin to heal their pasts and recognize that there's something deeper and more real between them. This is perfect for fans of Emily Henry. Kuang's dialogue sparkles and the chemistry between her characters is electric on the page. Lots of spice and realistic emotional stakes make this a standout in many ways - Kuang is an author to watch for sure.

Book TWs: suicide, anxiety, grief

I feel like I need to give a disclaimer first, because it’s a very important thing to note. This is NOT a light, fun romcom, despite the cover. It’s a love story that deals with a lot of tragedy, loss, and heavier issues like suicide and anxiety.

It was a really beautiful love story though—marred by a lot of trauma, grief, and complex familial relationships that are so emblematic of the Asian experience (particularly on the immigrant front). It’s really such a complex story—and I think just mentioning the enemies-to-lovers trope downplays the kind of depth the relationship takes on. There’s a lot of finding your path out/struggling with your sense of worth featured here too, and tidbits of Asian culture that I personally loved. It’s messy, complicated, and also so tender—you get so swept up in Yulin’s prose; she describes the little glances and glimpses in their actions, and her screenwriter background really shines through in that.

I do think this is better comped to books like Alone With You In the Ether & Cleopatra and Frankenstein (except with an HEA), more litfic & women’s fic than romance. For a debut, this was stunning. I cannot wait to read Yulin’s future work—and see what other love stories she has in store.

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this ARC!

What an incredible debut novel! A beautiful story about grief, love, self-discovery, and being awkward, this book really tugged at my heartstrings. Helen, a bestselling author, comes to discover that her high school classmate, Grant, will be in the writer’s room for the TV adaptation of her book. Their history is deeper than high school- both inexplicably bound by Helen’s younger sister’s death 13 years before. How can they stay apart when they are so connected?

Kuang’s writing is magnificent. I was drawn in by the characters & Kuang’s ability to write realistic, meaningful dialogue. However, I quickly became enamored with the poignant yet inspiring story that she had to tell. She is able to wind love and loss so brilliantly in this story! I’m not joking when I say that I laughed, I cried, and I was moved. If you like a complex romance with incredibly likable characters, you need to pick up this book right now! Seriously, it’s out, so read it. I can’t wait to see what else Kuang thinks up.

Thanks, again, Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this ARC!

TW: suicide, family death, lasting impact of dysfunctional upbringing


How to end a love story by Yulin Kuang is an enemies to lovers and sad girl romance. A heartbreaking beautiful debut. The book deals with heavy themes such as grief, mentla health and trauma. The emotions and realness. It was a heartbreaking situation that tied Helen and Grant together. The complex family relationships were incredibly heartbreaking and real. . Helen's relationship with her parents felt incredibly real (for lack of a better word). Her interactions with them, and resulting decisions regarding her relationship with Grant made sense to me, considering the amount of trauma Helen was processing. Her feelings toward Michelle, her younger sister, were so raw and honest.

Oh my word, friends. I may have found your next favourite romance. I was so incredibly invested in How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang. I couldn’t stop thinking about this debut romance when I wasn’t reading it. It is so angsty and so real with a Happily Ever After that had a lot of roadblocks in its way. It was emotional and wonderful.

Here’s the book’s description:
Helen Zhang hasn’t seen Grant Shepard once in the thirteen years since the tragic accident that bound their lives together forever.
Now a bestselling author, Helen pours everything into her career. She’s even scored a coveted spot in the writers’ room of the TV adaptation of her popular young adult novels, and if she can hide her imposter syndrome and overcome her writer’s block, surely the rest of her life will fall into place too. LA is the fresh start she needs. After all, no one knows her there. Except…
Grant has done everything in his power to move on from the past, including building a life across the country. And while the panic attacks have never quite gone away, he’s well liked around town as a screenwriter. He knows he shouldn’t have taken the job on Helen’s show, but it will open doors to developing his own projects that he just can’t pass up.
Grant’s exactly as Helen remembers him—charming, funny, popular, and lovable in ways that she’s never been. And Helen’s exactly as Grant remembers too—brilliant, beautiful, closed off. But working together is messy, and electrifying, and Helen’s parents, who have never forgiven Grant, have no idea he’s in the picture at all.
When secrets come to light, they must reckon with the fact that theirs was never meant to be any kind of love story. And yet… the key to making peace with their past—and themselves—might just lie in holding on to each other in the present.
You should want to read this book just based on the description (and the fact that I’m telling you you should, ha!), but if you want some more encouragement: Kuang is the screenwriter who is bringing Emily Henry’s novels from page to screen. You like Henry’s books, right? Throw in some more emotional angst, and you get Kuang’s novel. You’re in for a treat. (And I’m also even more excited for Henry's novels' adaptations now!)

Knowing that Kuang is a screenwriter made the story feel even more real, given the plot revolved around Grant and Helen adapting Helen’s novel for TV. Funnily enough, though, I couldn’t picture this book as a movie or TV show. You know how sometimes you can clearly see how a book would translate to screen? I didn’t get that with this one. It’s perfect as a book. And I really liked the little peek into the world of screenwriting. It was fairly in depth without being overwhelming or boring.



Helen and Grant’s background is…a lot. It wasn’t insurmountable but a lot of therapy was going to need to be involved, which Kuang made sure to talk about in a positive light. Both of them had been going to therapy but clearly still needed some more help to get past the traumatic experience that tied them together so many years before. I don’t know what I would have done in their position but, let me tell you, I was feeling all the things while reading as they figured it out. Holy emotional. In the best way! Well, terribly difficult and awful emotions but done well in the book. Just…have tissues next to you and be kind to yourself when you read this one. (I’ll put the content warnings I personally noticed down at the bottom of this review.)

I felt the characters of Helen and Grant were well-developed and I was fully invested in their lives. I needed them to work out their issues so they could be together but I didn’t know how they’d get there. Thanks to Kuang’s writing, I felt like I had a front row seat to their relationship but also to their careers. Figuring out their professional lives was more important to them, Helen especially, than whatever romantic feelings were being stirred up. It was the kind of balance I crave in romances and was so glad Kuang hit the right notes.

I absolutely loved How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang. This debut novel had me feeling all the feelings in the best way. I cannot wait to see what else Kuang writes.

Content warnings: grief, suicide, panic attacks, death of a family member, car accident

*An egalley was provided by the Canadian publisher, HarperCollins Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

An absolutely brilliant debut that lives up to the hype – highly recommended for anyone interested in elevated, literary romance!

Grant and Helen were well-drawn, believable characters on their own, but their connection wasn't realistic at all. The writers' room relationships and banter were the strongest parts, and Helen's grief was thoughtfully explored, but the romance was the weakest element.

I finished How to End a Love Story today. I could have finished it last night, but I wanted the story to keep going so I made myself stop to savor it. 5 stars for this debut from Yulin Kuang, who is actually a screenwriter herself (like her book's main characters) and is adapting some of Emily Henry's work for the big screen!

The book begins at the main character's sister's funeral. Warning that if you have lost someone in your life to suicide, this book deals with the fallout on a family from losing a child to suicide. Fast forward 13 years, and the main character is thrust into forced proximity (via work) with the very man who played an unwitting role in her sister's suicide.

I honestly loved the angst in this book - the slow build up to a relationship between the two main characters, and how we get to live in both of their heads. You root for them, but you also know nothing can happen long-term with them, because of who they are to each other. There was some gorgeous prose in this book as well - I found myself underlining lines more than usual when reading.

I will say I found the beginning of this book slow. It wasn't a must-pick-up-and-keep-reading for me until about 50% of the way through, when suddenly I couldn't put it down. However, the payoff was worth it! I'm looking forward to reading more from this author in the future. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Yulin Kuang's How to End a Love Story is a gripping and emotional story of love, loss, and second chances. Helen Zhang and Grant Shepard, two writers with a complicated past, find themselves working together on a TV show, forcing them to confront their history and the feelings they thought they had buried. The writing is both sexy and emotional, drawing readers in with its raw and authentic portrayal of love and forgiveness. What sets this book apart is its depth of character development. Helen and Grant are flawed and complex, making their story all the more relatable and heart wrenching. As they navigate their past and present, the author delves into themes of forgiveness, redemption, and the power of love to heal old wounds.

Absolutely head over heels in love with this book. I want to crawl into bed and hug this book to my chest and cry and sleep for the next 6-8 months I loved it so much. Beautiful, wonderful, amazing. I can’t even try to consolidate all my feelings for it into a cohesive review. How can a book that had me weeping, wailing, sobbing one minute also have me panting and pacing my kitchen SCREAMING and sweating reading the smutty scenes in the next. The RANGE is unprecedented.
It is art. High art. I’m starting it again as we speak. Pressing play.