This is one of the best books I have ever read. This is Yulin Kuang’s debut novel but she is also a seasoned screenwriter and is responsible for the writing for both the People We Meet on Vacation and Beach Read adaptations (plus, she’s directing Beach Read). From the very first page I knew that my favorite book and my favorite characters, Gus and January, are in good hands. In How to End a Love Story, Yulin Kuang blends humor, sadness, heart, and the most tender romance.

Like Emily Henry, while this is a romance book, it also has deep emotional depth, specifically regarding the concept of grief as our two main characters Helen and Grant are tethered together (by an invisible string?) by a tragedy. I was literally moved to tears (in public!) multiple times. Unlike an Emily Henry novel, this book is told from both Grant and Helen’s perspectives, which I loved. Both characters were so deeply human and relatable. The kind of characters that reflect some of the most vulnerable parts of your soul back at you.

I can not recommend this book enough. For the rest of my life, I will pick up any book Yulin Kuang writes. Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good RomCom after some heavy fantasy reads... this one left me wanting more. It seemed rushed with some pretty unlikeable characters. It did have some good points on suicide and how it can affect loved ones, and I did like some of the plot. Overall though the story seemed really rushed at the end and it left me feeling like I had some whiplash.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book from the moment I heard about it. I couldn’t fathom rooting for a romance under these circumstances. I was hooked from the first chapter and didn’t want to put it down. The story that unfolded was raw and painful and pushed me emotionally. It opened discussions within my own family and I’m still thinking about these characters (who are 100% fictional my husband likes to remind me LOL).

The angst was almost too much for me at times, but there were sweet and tender moments too. I don’t agree with all the choices Helen and Grant made, but I think the beauty of their love is in the mess. These two are forever tied by tragedy and share a pain so similar, but from two different sides. It’s incredibly messy and complex, but I don’t think love is ever neat and tidy. Yes, the progression of feelings felt a bit fast, but given the atmosphere and vacuum of the writer's room, I can see how things could unfold that way. I also felt that sometimes Helen was too cold or that the relationship was one sided, but I think (hope) that that was all part of their character arcs. The spice was a great surprise and I truly didn’t think the book would be as steamy as it was. I’m still a bit stunned that the author got me invested in this romance at all.

How to End a Love Story is a romance, but it’s also a story of family, forgiveness, acceptance, and healing. I think that part of the story is what will really stick with me. Helen’s relationship and struggles with her family, especially her mother, resonated with me so much. I saw many of my own life experiences on the page and I don’t think I can fully articulate what a chokehold those scenes with Helen’s family had on me. I could feel the weight of familial respect, responsibility, guilt, and disappointment so profoundly. Normally the third act conflict frustrates me, but this time, Helen’s decisions felt very in line with her upbringing and character.

The ending felt a bit rushed after all that angst, but I appreciated that both characters acknowledged that they weren’t 100% healed and that was OK. There isn’t a pretty bow for every plot point, but I think that was more realistic. I'm still not sure I could have made the same decisions as Helen and Grant, but I really enjoyed the final chapter (the montage/highlight reel all our hearts needed LOL) and I can’t wait to see what Yulin Kuang writes next.

CW (from the author): This story contains on-the-page discussions of complicated grief, suicide loss, and the death of a sibling.
Other CW's encountered: panic attacks (on page), strained relationship with parents, car accident and hospitalization/injury (on page)

OW/OM notes: FMC goes on a date with an OM after things have started with the MMC. MMC has an old hometown hookup/friend and is also friendly with an ex. No OW/OM during the separation.

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

I absolutely loved this book! I’m a huge fan of Emily Henry and when I saw that Yulin Kuang was writing and directing the upcoming screen adaptations, I couldn’t wait to read her debut novel. This was so well written and everything I want in a romance. I can’t wait to read what she writes next.

Thank you to Netgalley, Avon, and Kuang for the opportunity to read this ARC.

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.