i don't know what it was about this that i just didn't like: the romance felt rushed & they went from 0-100 in about 5 pages. the redeeming factor of this book was helen's character was super relatable & i thought her struggles with coming to terms with friendships & the past was an amazing character arc to see!!

I want to scream because of how good this book was😭. It really seems like romance that borderlines on literary fiction is my thing. I adored the quietness and focus of the characters in this book. It’s not a passionate love story, it’s the slow kind, not the butterflies but the liking each other over time with a touch of horniness. It’s the falling for each other when we shouldn’t, the emotional unavailability and slow growth that results. I’m so excited to see how the Emily Henry adaptations turn out if this is how she writes. 5⭐️

3.25/5
What I liked about this book:
1. I feel validated reading about Helen's inner monologue when she's just joined the writing room. Fitting in at your workplace where most people have known each other for a while is hard. Missing a get together will make you feel like an outsider for missing lots of inside jokes that sadly will revolve around said get together for at least one work day.

2. As someone who used to watch a lot of tv shows when I was in high school, I loved reading about what goes on behind the scenes before filming even takes place.

3. How as the story progresses, we see ways that Nicole and Saskia be better friends to Helen than Pallavi and Elyse. Maybe it wasn't fair for me to judge their friendship based on the small amount of information I have about Helen, Pallavi and Elyse trio, but I still could not stop thinking about how Pallavi and Elyse treats Helen post book-to-screen news came out. As a reader you can feel like both of them pulled away from Helen and started to hang out only with each other to probably bond over the fact that their book wasn't chosen.

4. Helen's new book. Reading Helen's letter to Michelle made me cry because of how beautiful it was. I could feel the grief and anger and despite everything, how much she misses her sister and hopes for an epilogue where they can meet again. I think when you've lost somebody you'd be able to relate to this letter, and I wished we have seen more from this memoir.

What I dislike about this book mainly revolves around how many open door scenes this book has as someone who doesn't like reading too much smut. The first two times made sense to ME because I thought all Helen and Grant needed was to sweat each other out of their system, so they can have a deep talk about how the car crash affected their lives for the past thirteen years. I wished we have seen more of Grant and Helen's friendship before their relationship turned mostly physical because I really enjoyed reading about their flight home and their little adventure breaking into their old highschool (and getting caught for it). I loved reading about their scene in the cemetery too.

Oh my gosh, this book has consumed my soul this week. It’s been all I’ve been able to think about. I’ve wanted to give up adulting, just so that I could read it. But at the same time, I’ve wished to keep this book in my life for as long as possible.
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The novel is filled with the most exquisite yearning. The pushing and pulling in the relationship is addictive.
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Grant is the most delicious male lead. He’s vulnerable and has real fears, insecurities and anxieties. Yet, his love for Helen is genuine, endearing and all-consuming. But watching these broken characters fall in love, while knowing that it could tear them apart, was tragic.
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I could not love this book more. Plus the spice is 🔥🔥🔥. Just read this romance!

It was a rather anticipated read of mine, and unfortunately it did not go well. I did enjoy the writing, and the exploration of grief was gripping as well as powerful. The parts with the show were also quite interesting. However, I did not connect with the main characters, and I did not believe in their romance at all. It started off well, but it completely fell apart because of the amount of sex. And that came into the story way too quickly — towards the 40/45% of the story. There was absolutely no emotional connection, it was all about sex. Their relationship had a lot of potential, and too see it being ruined because of sex was not a pleasant experience at all. Going into this book, I was expecting something completely different and it caught me off guard. And it also made me upset. It is just not the type of romance I want to read at all. A romance with no emotional connection is not a romance for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

“I’ve always found endings harder than beginnings, goodbyes harder than hellos.”

This debut novel is a very lovely love story, yet it also addresses grief in depth. I absolutely loved how it was done. You might want to check your TW because (among others) suicide thematic lingers all around the pages. Indeed, when they were teenagers, Grant was driving the car which killed Helen’s sister. Years later, Helen’s bestseller is about to be adapted into a TV show, and Grant is one of the screenwriters. They’ll have to work together, and will heal together too.
The strength here is how everything is done. I couldn’t put that book down. It was hard, beautiful, deep, but funny and swoony too. The subject is difficult (obviously), yet the story never becomes melodramatic –while always remaining very respectful. It was a tightrope but the whole is perfectly balanced all the time. If the middle of the book is nicely spicy, the rest swings in a sweet, tender, soft, melancholia that lulls us (and the characters) and eases the pain.
That being said, don’t think the romance part is secondary in the plot, because it isn’t. At all. Everything is intricated, linked, waved, which makes things (very) complicated but how so so beautiful. I loved how they were so supportive, so uncertain, so full of their guilt, and how they overcame this because of –thanks to– their love.
I don’t even have the words to explain how much I adored that book and how it helped me to process things I went through during my reading. I healed along with Helen and Grant. For that, and for more, I’ll be forever grateful. I know that’s one of the few contemporary romances I’ll want to have a physical copy on my shelves to reread parts again and again. I’d also definitely read more stories from that author. I've been captivated by her words and style, fell in love with both characters. A new favourite.

Thank you NetGalley, Yulin Kuang and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

2.5⭐️ rating. This follows Helen, who tragically lost her sister to suicide (jumping in front of a car) when they were both teens. She is now a novelist and one of her books is being made into a movie. The screenwriter is the guy who was driving and hit her sister many years ago.

They obviously hate each other at first and it brings up a lot of bad memories for Helen. And the story goes from there.

The premise was really interesting but feels like would be better as a movie (ironically it’s written by a screenplay writer) and the third person pov made me feel disconnected from the characters, I didn’t really care all that much even through the sad parts. It would have been better to do the classic first person dual pov alternating chapters.

The Christmas scenes I really liked and gave me love actually/ theholiday vibes. It also had great representation of Chinese culture as Helen’s family were Chinese.

Grants panic attacks seemed like a random pointless plot point added just to make us feel more for him but it didn’t work and felt out of place. The conflict at the end was so pointless and made no sense and then it was all wrapped up and happily ever after so fast.

The plot was very Emily Henry vibes but just don’t think it was executed well.

✑ HOW TO END A LOVE STORY💗🎥📓
rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ .5 stars (4.5) loved it!
note: found myself a new auto-buy author🥹✨

guys, guys, GUYS! I totally get why Emily Henry trusted this woman to adapt her books because… YULIN KUANG, ladies and gentleman! this book has been such a discovery, and I am 100% sure this won’t be the last book I read of hers!!

‘How to End a Love Story’ follows Helen and Grant, a writer and screenwriter whom, after being both involved in a tragic event on their teens, stumble onto each other years later when grant is hired into the group of people that will turn Helen’s successful series into a tv show. So, as we can expect, we get thrown into a forced proximity, angsty romance with tenseful chemistry that will bring you to your knees!

This book is so witty, emotional and angsty that I could not stop myself from devouring it. I love how Yulin Kuang gave equal importance to both the romance and the feelings that both characters navigate through after a traumatic incident (Helen and Grant also deal and suffer through it differently, and it is so tender and insightful!). We get both POVs which gives us insight to their suffering and vulnerability. Plus, the reasoning behind their actions and their personality is so well written and easy to connet with that it makes you even closer to both characters. It also went deeper than that with Helen, and we get to see a family dynamic and particularly a relationship between mother and daughter that was really interesting to read about.

Now into the romance: so. freaking. CUTE! we get spice, we get sweet, tender moments, we get angsty tension and a chemistry I was SO at the edge of my seat for!! Particularly, Grant was absolutely adorable (we get a ‘he-falls-first situation!!), I loved the way he wore his emotions so easily and without fear for Helen, and how he fighted for what they both deserved. If you know me, you will be aware that I am very particular (and mostly a hater) or third act break-ups, but this one was so well done and it made sense for me, and the way Yulin Kuang resolved it was so well done and worth it for her characters, I was so happy (while riding through heartbreak) of the overall outcome!

Overall, How to End a Love Story takes one of the top stops of my favourite romances read this year, and I know I won’t forget about it anytime soon (days later, Helen and Grant still take over my mind every now and then!) I can’t wait to get myself a physical copy on April 9th, and you can bet I’ll be on the lookout for any book news we get from Yulin!! Mark your calendars, guys, you won’t want to miss this book!!


Huge thank you to Netgalley and Avon for gifting me an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This is original in its own right and didn't try to be any other romance book. It's relatable in the sense it comments on friends groups growing apart overtime and the many intricacies of early adulthood. The story is told in third person perspective through both Helen and Grant's eyes without taking away from your ability to connect with the characters.

Helen is a relatable FMC and I felt represented in her character. She struggles with social anxiety, giving and accepting love and has a complicated relationship with her family. She struggles to find the natural pause to interject in group conversations and never quite says the right thing, which I'm sure many can relate to. I loved the Asian culture representation and I found Helen's experiences with cultural assimilation insightful. I think she's a fairly misunderstood character and many might be frustrated by her but I loved her realistic complexities.

Grant is adorable, friendly and warm personality that knows how to work a room. He falls first and he falls harder. I loved his vulnerability and his ability to show his emotions in contrast to Helen's closed off nature. He consistently wore his heart on his sleeve and understood Helen more than she did herself. Where Helen may feel like she's not enough, Grant feels he is too much. He suffers from panic attacks and I loved the representation.

Grant and Helen's chemistry is undeniable and I was squealing and kicking my feet during their moments. The romance matured to perfection, it didn't feel too rushed or slow. Grant might be the golden retriever type but don't let this fool you, he was dominant but also empowered Helen. There is a third act event, however, I did see this coming, it felt like a natural occurrence in the story served a purpose.

I loved the found family aspect of the writers room. There wasn't a single unlikeable character and enough development was put into these characters that their personality shone through the page and I was invested in every aspect of this story. Yulin possesses Emily Henry's witty humour and her characters feel like the friends you have in real life and had me laughing out loud.

I'm always looking for some emotional depth to the plot and this did not disappoint. This book touches on some uncomfortable subjects such as grief and **suicide** (in the past). I don't want to give much away but I will say that I thought the 'letters you'll never read' were beautiful and moving. I think most people can find a piece of themselves represented in this book.

It was magical delving into Yulin's brilliant screenwriter mind and getting a greater understanding on how this process works. This is the perfect book for 90's/ early 2000's rom/com movies lovers and I thoroughly recommend you read this when it is published on 9 April 2024.

Thank you Hodder & Stoughton & Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This debut story, "How to End a Love Story" by Yulin Kuang, is an absolute gem.
At first, I was unsure if it would captivate me, but gradually, it drew me in until I was completely hooked.
Helen and Grant's characters are beautifully developed, and their complex relationship unfolds with a perfect blend of softness and melancholy.
The story delicately tackles themes of grief, loss, and cultural dynamics, adding depth to the characters' arcs. Despite their tragic past and seemingly incompatible differences, Helen and Grant's love blossoms in a way that feels both authentic and heart-wrenching.
The writing is stunning, with sentences that are both beautiful and poignant.
The third act of the book had me on the edge of my seat, and while I hate books in that sense, this one delivers a well deserved ending.

Overall, "How to End a Love Story" is a breathtaking debut that I highly recommend.

Very grateful to the publisher for this copy, opinions are my own

'It was a slow fall but a pretty permanent crash'

I am all kinds of in my feels.

How to End A Love Story is the debut Novel from Yulin Kuang. It follows Helen and Grant as they see each other for the first time in 13 years, after a tragic accident entwined their lives together. Whilst they have both tried to put what happened in the past behind them, they can thelp but still feel every moment of it, whether they want to or not. And now, forced to work together on an adaptation of Helen's popular YA series, they have to reconcile the difference between who they thought the other was, and who they actually are.

I'm more of a fluffy romance reader, but the angst in this book hit me in all the right spots. Although I wasn't sure at first about a romance between Helen and Grant, the slow burn, the chemistry between them, both of them being determined to not allow anything to happen between them until they realise that something alredy has, and then jumping in head first, had me rooting for them and nearly screaming at my kindle for them to just get it together.

Helen's character was really interesting for me to read. Her family dyanmic, and the way her sister's suicide impacts her realtionship with her parents was so interesting that I would have been happy reading a lot more of it. The resentment she feels towards her sister felt a lot more real than the way a lot of books handle death in the family, where they become an untouchable martyr, and because of it I found Helen so compelling. I would have liked to have seen more interaction bewteen her and her parents, but by having limited time between them, I think it makes it all the more impactful.

The way she changes once she decides to let her walls down, and be who she wants to be not who she thinks she's expected to be is liberating to read, and she feels alot more authentic because of it.

Grant's character was one that I didn't quite know what to expect, but he really compliments Helen's character. The way he feels like he has to be the funny one in the room, wholst internally battling his own shortcomings, to the way he falls so hard for Helen was so endearing that when Helen was hoping that he would have the happily ever after, I found myself wanting that to.

I wish the third act wasn't so brutal, but it made perfect sense, and I had a feeling that when Helen had said it was going to painless it was going to be anything but. I had a hollow feeling in my chest, and I felt as though I was feeling everything that they were both feeling. But it made the ending so worth it.

I found it hard to read at some times, and found myself racing through it for the rest of the time, there was no inbetween. (Please check the trigger warnings for this one though). 3/3.5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley, Yulin Kuang, and Avon Books UK, for the opportunity to read this early copy. All thoughts are my own.

With Yulin Kuang's screenwriting credits, I knew I needed to read her debut as soon as it was announced, and I was so chuffed to get a proof copy here! I loved the idea of her bringing in her screenwriting knowhow to the setting and plotline of the novel, and I think it worked really well.
I loved how we get immersed into the characters' lives and the stakes of the story right away. Without giving too much away, the incident that is alluded to that creates the animosity and tension between Helen and Grant is an enormously tragic and significant one – one that profoundly affected both their families and their lives. Handling the stakes of love and grief involved in overcoming an event like that takes a lot of grace and respect from the writer, and Yulin Kuang really delivered on that front. You feel the gut-wrenching mix of guilt, loss, and attraction that infuses Grant and Helen's relationship all the way through, and you still come out rooting for Grant and Helen to make it. Both Grant and Helen felt so complex and real, and I grew really attached to them throughout. A big part of that was the amount of detail and attention given to Helen's relationship with her parents, and how it evolves throughout the novel. And the romance scenes were absolutely electric!
I did end up docking a star for a couple of reasons. The third-act breakup felt a little drawn out, and I wasn't totally convinced it was needed. At times, I also felt like the writing was a little detached – perhaps since it's written in the third person. And finally, I was torn at the end – still am – over whether or not Helen and Grant can heal from the accident in their pasts together. I really want to think they can, but a part of me wasn't totally sure. They started lusting after each other pretty early on, and I guess I wish they'd had more time before that came in to process what happened and how they would handle working together given their backstory, and that more space had been given to the emotional aspects of their relationship.
Overall, would definitely recommend – though do check the trigger warnings before reading!

I was already expecting good things when I saw she was adapting Emily Henry’s books and I was not disappointed. This was amazing, and even more impressive for a debut! I loved the story and how complex the characters were and the representations of anxiety and panic attacks and difficult relationships with family members. I felt truly connected to the characters which made the story all the more impactful to read. It was truly wonderful and I’m so excited for her future books!

This book is fantastic! There was so much emotion packed into this one

How to End a Love Story centres around a bestselling author called Helen Zhang, whose family life is marked by the tragic death of her younger sister, Michelle. Her sister died in a tragic car accident, an event that shaped both Helen and her family's life and the driver's, Grant. Thirteen years after the accident, Helen's books are being adapted into a TV series and one of the writers is Grant, which complicates the situation for both of them as they come to terms with the aftermath of Michelle's death and its consequences to their psyche. Their story was never meant to be a love tale, but somehow that's what happens in this emotion-packed book.

How to End a Love Story was so raw and real. These characters had so much depth to them and their story was heartbreaking. It'd been a long time since a book had elicited so much emotion from me. Yulin Kuang made me truly care about these characters and I suffered with them throughout the novel.

Reading and loving this book and knowing Yulin Kuang is the adapting screenwriter of Emily Henry’s People We Meet On Vacation as well as the writer/director of the forthcoming adaptation of Beach Read into a movie made me really excited for these adaptations. I hope we get more books by Yulin Kuang soon!

Thank you so much to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for my e-ARC!

I thought I would absolutely love this book, but the more I read, the more I disliked it.

Overall, I loved the writing and I quite liked the relationship between Helen and Grant (THE ANGST AND YEARNING). They had a lot of sweet moments, but then all of sudden, it felt like I was reading about two horny teenagers. It kind of ruined it for me. Also, both characters have their flaws, which made them a perfect fit.

About the characters. Grant was alright. I didn't like the guy that much. I did like how the author brought up his anxiety and panic attacks every now and then (which was really well written). Helen, on the other hand, is such an interesting character to read about. I loved reading about her story and the complex relationship she had with her parents (especially her mother).

I really liked this book at the start and I thought it had a lot of potential. Around 40% in, it went downhill and it didn't get much better. It absolutely had a few well written and emotional scenes, but not enough for me to rate this book higher.

Thank you, NetGalley, for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang is a stunning debut. It’s such a rich, clever and tender story, and one that also deals deftly with some really big and heavy issues. I cannot wait to see what Kuang writes next.

In How to End a Love Story Helen Zhang, bestselling YA author, is having her novel series The Ivy Papers turned into a TV show. She’s got herself a spot in the writers room but is thrown when she finds herself face to face with Grant Shepard, a man she’s not seen in 13 years. Helen and Grant’s lives have been shaped by a terrible tragedy that will forever link them together. And yet they find their attraction to one another inescapable and soon find themselves in a position they could never have imagined.

I loved that this novel is about an author having her work made into a series and that it’s written by a debut author who is herself a screenwriter and director. It was amazing to read about the process of taking a book from page to screen and made for such a great story. I don’t often find myself reading third person and though it took a little getting used to I found it really worked within the context of everything that was going in.

It’s important to note that Kuang had written her own content warnings and to say that this book deals a lot with the impact of a character’s suicide. The opening is heavy and yet it’s not without its dark humour. Both Helen and Grant’s lives were altered by the death of Helen’s sister and their grief and trauma related issues felt incredibly real, though always handled with care and grace by Kuang. The mental health representation was really something.

Also fascinating in this story was the complicated relationship between Helen and her parents, that was shaped, of course, by her sister’s death but also by the cultural differences between their being first generation immigrants and Helen being American born. The way Kuang dealt with Helen’s own complicated feelings brought so much depth to her character and I’m sure will resonate with many.

The romance was a stunning slow burn, and the evolution of the relationship between Grant and Helen worked so very well. Their history is complicated and yet you can tell how right they were for one another. The third act break was difficult, it was prolonged but it made so much sense and made the resolution that much better.

I absolutely adored this one. It really was an incredible read.

How to End a Love Story pulled me into Helen and Grant's world. The emotions in this book run deep. There is grief and there is forgiveness and healing. There is conflict, tension, angst and romance. There is also a celebration of actually achieving new heights in careers which was quite refreshing to read.

Aside from the romance, Yulin Kuang has brilliantly brought out what life is like in an Asian household where feelings aren't shown and talked about openly.

If you're looking for a steamy romance, with engaging narratives and character development, this is the book to read.

After reading a very gushing review of How to End a Love Story, I was so excited to read it! But unfortunately it fell quite flat for me.

Our two main characters and love interests are Helen and Grant. Now in their early 30s, they meet in the writers’ room for the tv series being made of Helen’s highly successful YA book series. But their past is very complicated - they went to the same high school, Helen the quiet academic type, Grant the homecoming king. They became fatefully connected one awful night when Helen’s younger sister kills herself.

Now they find themselves working together and need to face the past. And as they do, things take an unexpectedly romantic turn.

What I really enjoyed about this book was the insight into how the tv series was made. That was super interesting! And some of the friends Helen makes along the way were fun characters that gave some light relief. But for me, Helen was frustratingly annoying and Grant confusingly obsessive.

The sex scenes were so cringey - why was Grant growling so much all the time? And he talked way too much awful cringey stuff during the sex scenes. I had to start skimming through them because it was so dire! And this was after what felt like weeks of doing nothing but sucking each other’s fingers which was also a bit bizarre.

And then about 70% in, suddenly Grant starts calling Helen ‘Crackerjack’ every other page out of the blue! Why? What? I found myself far too often wanting Grant to just shush. His intensity was more creepy than romantic.

Despite all that, there were some interesting themes and dynamics and a nice ending.

At the age of eighteen, Helen and Grant were on opposite sides of a tragedy. Thirteen years later, they encounter each other again, unexpectedly, in the writers' room of the show being made out of Helen's YA novels.

This book had a slow start for me, and I wondered if it was going to drag, but it gradually drew me in until I was completely invested and finding any excuse to pick it up and read a few more pages. Grant and Helen are such different characters on the outside - one relentlessly affable, the other the definition of awkward - and initially it seems impossible that they can ever find common ground, but the story develops beautifully and also with a mounting sense of doom, because it's clear that somewhere there has to be a breaking point. I'm not a fan of the phrase 'all the feels', but it's actually an apt description for this book, because not only are the main characters' feelings delicately depicted in detail, but it evokes plenty of varied emotion in the reader as well. An incredibly satisfying reading experience.

I first heard of this author as she’ll be directing and writing Emily Henry’s books into adaptations and when I saw that she’s also releasing her debut novel, I was curious to read it. And I’m so glad to pick it up because it’s one of the most beautiful stories written.

It follows a love that is all at once soft and melancholic, making me fall in love with Helen and Grant as they too are falling in love with each other. It tackles grief, loss, trauma, familial tension, and cultural dynamics which play big roles in their character arcs, especially Helen’s. I relate a lot to her as an Asian, immigrant, and eldest daughter, and although I didn’t go through what she did, I can still see the reflection of it through her family and inner monologue. It also ties into how the conflict rose between them which made it really realistic despite the nature of feeling frustrated by it, because it’s easier said than done for them to just work on it. There were definitely things that they needed to unpack and work through.

To add to that, Helen and Grant are tied together by this tragic past as well and they shouldn’t go together on paper. But when they’re left on their own, in forced proximity where differences are set aside and thus unfolds their true selves to each other, it made them care about each other. And it’s so good the way it happened! They slowly gravitated towards each other, find comfort in each other, which made the conflict hurt so much to read because I can truly feel the way they love. Kudos as well to the writing because these two have major physical touch as their love language and from the briefest and mundane touches to the overt and sexual ones, they speak so much and come to life on the page.

I suppose why it lacks a 0.5 star is because I can’t remember every single thing that would make me feel the oomph of a 5 star. I’m the problem it’s me lol. Maybe on a reread it might bump up to 5. Regardless, I highly HIGHLY recommend this book.

I also recommend if you love these Taylor Swift songs:
💗 Love Story
💗 Say Don’t Go
💗 You Are In Love

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this eARC.

Rating: 4.5 ⭐ (rounded off to 5)