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How to End a Love Story
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Romance (2024), Winner for Readers' Favorite Debut Novel (2024)11 hours, 6 minutes
Two writers with a complicated history end up working on the same TV show... Can they write themselves a new ending? A sexy and emotional enemies-to-lovers romance guaranteed to pull on your heartstrings and give you a book hangover from brilliant new voice Yulin Kuang
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.
Two writers with a complicated history end up working on the same TV show... Can they write themselves a new ending? A sexy and emotional enemies-to-lovers romance guaranteed to pull on your heartstrings and give you a book hangover from brilliant new voice Yulin Kuang
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.
Audiobook
First published April 9, 2024
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About the author
Yulin Kuang
3 books2,266 followersYulin Kuang is a screenwriter and director. She was once fired from a Hallmark movie for being ‘too hip for Hallmark’ and is the adapting writer/director of Emily Henry’s Beach Read feature film for 20th Century Studios, as well as the screenwriter of the forthcoming People We Meet On Vacation film for Netflix. She lives in Pasadena with her husband Zack and their orange cat, Eloise.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 18,695 reviews
June 30, 2025
pssst...emily henry's screenwriter for beach read wrote a romance novel...
and you can probably skip it.
this was a weird book.
it uses the word vague a lot, and it loves to murmur. it has a lot of italics, for no real discernible reason. there's a whole scene where it seems like it might be sponsored by scrivener? (credit to halle on that one.)
more seriously, it creates a very troubled romance with very troubled characters and puts them in a love story it will take 300 pages to untangle into something resembling a happily ever after, except we never really get to their individual personal issues.
helen never makes real friendships, and grant doesn't either. parental relationships are left unresolved. they get back together, but the why feels unsolved at best.
and then there's the worst crime of all...this is so devastatingly unfunny.
a lot of the time in modern life, rom coms are more like rom drams, featuring characters navigating wildly upsetting interpersonal crises with a romance in the background and the occasional line of banter.
i actually don't mind that much, because i'm obsessed with drama and it helps to soothe the part of me that is constantly one bolt of confidence away from asking my acquaintances why they broke up.
but the drama in this was SO crazy, and the jokes SO unforgivably bad (to the point that i wouldn't know they were supposed to be jokes if it didn't literally say "he joked"), that i was more like...why would i root for these people at all.
while questioning if i know what jokes are at all, in the emotional equivalent of when you use the word "joke" so much it doesn't look like a word anymore. which is also happening.
it also relies on chemistry instead of intimacy, with a lot more sex scenes than romantic ones.
i read an interview with the author in which she says that she wrote this early in the morning and late at night while working on an emily henry script, and i hate to say it shows. this reads like the compiled discarded bits of something distractedly written by emhen.
that would be the meanest thing i've ever said if i didn't love emily henry so much.
bottom line: what a bummer.
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
and you can probably skip it.
this was a weird book.
it uses the word vague a lot, and it loves to murmur. it has a lot of italics, for no real discernible reason. there's a whole scene where it seems like it might be sponsored by scrivener? (credit to halle on that one.)
more seriously, it creates a very troubled romance with very troubled characters and puts them in a love story it will take 300 pages to untangle into something resembling a happily ever after, except we never really get to their individual personal issues.
helen never makes real friendships, and grant doesn't either. parental relationships are left unresolved. they get back together, but the why feels unsolved at best.
and then there's the worst crime of all...this is so devastatingly unfunny.
a lot of the time in modern life, rom coms are more like rom drams, featuring characters navigating wildly upsetting interpersonal crises with a romance in the background and the occasional line of banter.
i actually don't mind that much, because i'm obsessed with drama and it helps to soothe the part of me that is constantly one bolt of confidence away from asking my acquaintances why they broke up.
but the drama in this was SO crazy, and the jokes SO unforgivably bad (to the point that i wouldn't know they were supposed to be jokes if it didn't literally say "he joked"), that i was more like...why would i root for these people at all.
while questioning if i know what jokes are at all, in the emotional equivalent of when you use the word "joke" so much it doesn't look like a word anymore. which is also happening.
it also relies on chemistry instead of intimacy, with a lot more sex scenes than romantic ones.
i read an interview with the author in which she says that she wrote this early in the morning and late at night while working on an emily henry script, and i hate to say it shows. this reads like the compiled discarded bits of something distractedly written by emhen.
that would be the meanest thing i've ever said if i didn't love emily henry so much.
bottom line: what a bummer.
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
May 26, 2024
I reallyyy enjoyed this book! I’m excited to read future books by Yulin Kuang and see her Emily Henry movie adaptations. There were a lot of elements that I don’t read about super often which made this a unique read for me:
1. They’re screenwriters working together!! This was my favorite part. I loved getting a look into the behind the scenes of a writers room
2. They start out as a situationship. For the amount of romance I read, you’d think I’d have read about more situationships but I feel like I haven’t read that many situationships to lovers.
3. They have a very complicated and heartbreaking past.
Overall loved it! The only reason I didn’t give a higher rating is I felt like the ending/third act conflict felt a little drawn out for me.
1. They’re screenwriters working together!! This was my favorite part. I loved getting a look into the behind the scenes of a writers room
2. They start out as a situationship. For the amount of romance I read, you’d think I’d have read about more situationships but I feel like I haven’t read that many situationships to lovers.
3. They have a very complicated and heartbreaking past.
Overall loved it! The only reason I didn’t give a higher rating is I felt like the ending/third act conflict felt a little drawn out for me.
May 16, 2024
if i had a nickel for every time people got HIT BY CARS in this book…
July 25, 2024
Audiobook rating: *throws tomatoes* | Audiobook Performance: ew
my opinion
I usually don't rate audiobooks, but I need ya'll to know this is stanky. The only nice thing I'm gonna say is the cover is gorgeous. Too bad it was wasted on this absolute nuclear bomb of a "love" story. I was mostly intrigued because the author is one of the screenwriters for Emily Henry's movie adaptation. Um.............. This felt like the first draft of the first book Emily Henry ever wrote.
Gonna start with the "conflict" between these two bozos. Why did we have to go so extreme? He ran over your sister when she jumped to her death? (Not a spoiler. The book literally starts at the sister's funeral). We couldn't have gone with he's a dog person, she's a cat person, or, he sabotaged her during debate club in HS which cost her the regional championship??? This felt like some Euphoria shit.
Next, where exactly is the "love" in this alleged love story located at? Someone drop me a pin, because I couldn't find it. Donald and Melania Trump have more chemistry than Helen and Grant. Understandably, Helen dislikes Grant because of the whole unintentional assisted suicide thing but then suddenly decides to risk it all because she takes an edible, gets high, realizes he smells good af, and then has a sex dream about him. After that, we enter Bangville, population: 2. No build-up of feelings, no breaking down of walls, just orgasm after orgasm after orgasm punctuated by Helen sobbing. Homegirl was either crying or "letting out a short 'ha'". And when she referred to his precum as "weeping head" and he kept calling her "Cracker Jack", I nearly Van Gogh'd my own ears off.
Finally, we arrive at the third-act break-up. I wished they had stayed broken up. Calling Helen a coward and storming off like a petulant toddler when she's in the hospital with multiple broken bones is pretty much unforgivable to me but anyways congrats you two.
Anyways, if you like a book with random, unresolved storylines with no character growth, this is THE one for you.
__
Check out my YouTube
my opinion
I usually don't rate audiobooks, but I need ya'll to know this is stanky. The only nice thing I'm gonna say is the cover is gorgeous. Too bad it was wasted on this absolute nuclear bomb of a "love" story. I was mostly intrigued because the author is one of the screenwriters for Emily Henry's movie adaptation. Um.............. This felt like the first draft of the first book Emily Henry ever wrote.
Gonna start with the "conflict" between these two bozos. Why did we have to go so extreme? He ran over your sister when she jumped to her death? (Not a spoiler. The book literally starts at the sister's funeral). We couldn't have gone with he's a dog person, she's a cat person, or, he sabotaged her during debate club in HS which cost her the regional championship??? This felt like some Euphoria shit.
Next, where exactly is the "love" in this alleged love story located at? Someone drop me a pin, because I couldn't find it. Donald and Melania Trump have more chemistry than Helen and Grant. Understandably, Helen dislikes Grant because of the whole unintentional assisted suicide thing but then suddenly decides to risk it all because she takes an edible, gets high, realizes he smells good af, and then has a sex dream about him. After that, we enter Bangville, population: 2. No build-up of feelings, no breaking down of walls, just orgasm after orgasm after orgasm punctuated by Helen sobbing. Homegirl was either crying or "letting out a short 'ha'". And when she referred to his precum as "weeping head" and he kept calling her "Cracker Jack", I nearly Van Gogh'd my own ears off.
Finally, we arrive at the third-act break-up. I wished they had stayed broken up. Calling Helen a coward and storming off like a petulant toddler when she's in the hospital with multiple broken bones is pretty much unforgivable to me but anyways congrats you two.
Anyways, if you like a book with random, unresolved storylines with no character growth, this is THE one for you.
__
Check out my YouTube
November 29, 2024
from the bottom of my heart, all i want to do right now is to drop to my knees and present some flowers to yulin kuang.
in reality, i lack the appropriate words to describe what this book has done to me. i have never identified myself as a romance lover because i have a hard time identifying my vision of love in popular romances. one exception to that is emily henry, which many assimilate to "chick-lit". maybe that's my genre of love stories after all, because at the end of the day, i find this genre of romances to be more emotionally sensible and humane and i think what we have here is a new reference title of the genre, and personally one of my new favorite books of all time.
"how to end a love story" follows helen zhang, a successful writer of a YA series and its TV adaptation, and grant shepard, a successful screenwriter of the project. the novel opened with the death of helen's sister, michelle, and how grant is involved in the tragedy. the main story started a decade later, where our two protagonists meet again in the writers' room.
this book has the wittiness of an emily henry novel, the emotional tenderness of olivie blake, and the delicious angst of a 100k-work-slowburn-hurt and comfort fanfic on ao3. somehow in barely 300 pages, yulin kuang's writing pushed me down a roller coaster of emotions, between the romantic part and the family issues part (get a girl that can do both!) i felt deeply seen in the helen's and grant's love through vulnerability and acceptance, but also helen's relation to her mother. of course, we have seen many representations of immigrant mother-daughter relationship, but i really like the direction of the book took in exploring helen's dilemma between honoring michelle's memories and living her life free of expectations.
this book is a tenderly vulnerable portrayal of love in many of its form. i think that yulin kuang writes with a lot of emotional intelligence: there is something very shocking about the beginning that i almost didn't continue. the situation makes me uncomfortable, because i feel (and identify) with the deep pain the characters went through. yulin, the screenwriter she is, makes readers feel emotion by mastering the "show not tell" through the whole novel: for example, i find myself screaming crying throwing up at the couch scene (iykyk) because it was so sexy but still very intimate. that scene reminds me a lot of the church scene in alone with you in the ether and the cathedral scuplture of rodin. there is always so much tenderness, intimacy, and respect in the love that exists. at many points, i find myself in awe with the way yulin kuang just seems to see straight into my heart because with the relationship of grant and helen, it just feels right, it makes sense that they are together and it makes sense that they feel a profound love for each other, and for this i salute yulin kuang. fews have done this as well as she has.
overall, "how to end a love story" firmly establishes itself as one of my favorite romances of all time, maybe even of all time i sit on it long enough. reading this i am not surprised that yulin kuang got a seven-figure deal in a six-bidder auction for her first three books because in my opinion she will become a new figure of the romance community. i am excited to see what she has to offer next and will be waiting the next book with utmost impatience (avon, if you heard me and want to send me an ARC 👀)
oh yulin, please save me yulin 😩😩😩
visit me on instagram @loverssrequiem !
thank you avon | harper voyager and netgalley for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange of my honest review. i will potentially add quotes to this review upon release.
in reality, i lack the appropriate words to describe what this book has done to me. i have never identified myself as a romance lover because i have a hard time identifying my vision of love in popular romances. one exception to that is emily henry, which many assimilate to "chick-lit". maybe that's my genre of love stories after all, because at the end of the day, i find this genre of romances to be more emotionally sensible and humane and i think what we have here is a new reference title of the genre, and personally one of my new favorite books of all time.
"how to end a love story" follows helen zhang, a successful writer of a YA series and its TV adaptation, and grant shepard, a successful screenwriter of the project. the novel opened with the death of helen's sister, michelle, and how grant is involved in the tragedy. the main story started a decade later, where our two protagonists meet again in the writers' room.
this book has the wittiness of an emily henry novel, the emotional tenderness of olivie blake, and the delicious angst of a 100k-work-slowburn-hurt and comfort fanfic on ao3. somehow in barely 300 pages, yulin kuang's writing pushed me down a roller coaster of emotions, between the romantic part and the family issues part (get a girl that can do both!) i felt deeply seen in the helen's and grant's love through vulnerability and acceptance, but also helen's relation to her mother. of course, we have seen many representations of immigrant mother-daughter relationship, but i really like the direction of the book took in exploring helen's dilemma between honoring michelle's memories and living her life free of expectations.
this book is a tenderly vulnerable portrayal of love in many of its form. i think that yulin kuang writes with a lot of emotional intelligence: there is something very shocking about the beginning that i almost didn't continue. the situation makes me uncomfortable, because i feel (and identify) with the deep pain the characters went through. yulin, the screenwriter she is, makes readers feel emotion by mastering the "show not tell" through the whole novel: for example, i find myself screaming crying throwing up at the couch scene (iykyk) because it was so sexy but still very intimate. that scene reminds me a lot of the church scene in alone with you in the ether and the cathedral scuplture of rodin. there is always so much tenderness, intimacy, and respect in the love that exists. at many points, i find myself in awe with the way yulin kuang just seems to see straight into my heart because with the relationship of grant and helen, it just feels right, it makes sense that they are together and it makes sense that they feel a profound love for each other, and for this i salute yulin kuang. fews have done this as well as she has.
overall, "how to end a love story" firmly establishes itself as one of my favorite romances of all time, maybe even of all time i sit on it long enough. reading this i am not surprised that yulin kuang got a seven-figure deal in a six-bidder auction for her first three books because in my opinion she will become a new figure of the romance community. i am excited to see what she has to offer next and will be waiting the next book with utmost impatience (avon, if you heard me and want to send me an ARC 👀)
oh yulin, please save me yulin 😩😩😩
visit me on instagram @loverssrequiem !
thank you avon | harper voyager and netgalley for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange of my honest review. i will potentially add quotes to this review upon release.
April 3, 2024
THIS BOOK 👏🏻 When I say I want a rom/com this is exactly what I want. Yulin Kuang delivered in her DEBUT book.
This is for introverts with social anxiety, the girlies still figuring it out, the career driven women and the people who grew up with strict parents and struggle expressing how they feel to the people they love.
╰⪼ Synopsis:
Helen Zhang is a best selling YA romance author and her book is being made into a TV series adaption. She moves to LA after earning herself a coveted spot in the writers room alongside longterm screen writer, Grant Shepard. This is Helen's big break and should be the time for excitement. The issue? Helen shares a complex and emotionally charged past with Grant, following an event that took place when they were in high school.
╰⪼ Thoughts
One of the things I loved about this is it feels original in its own right. It didn't try to be any other romance book and it wasn't full of tropes. 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.
"Helen often wonders how much of her relationship has been lost in translation with her parents and how different things would be if they'd never moved to this country."
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 wrote POEMS's about her! 🫠 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.
"I would have fallen in love with you sooner, if you'd let me."
The romance and angst SERVED. 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. This book is spicy and I ate up every bit of it! 🌶️🌶️🌶️ There is a third act event, however, I did see this coming and it felt like a natural occurrence in the story. It did serve a purpose and wasn't one of the worst offenders I've seen.
"You don't have to be completely healed to be everything I want. To be mine. I want every part of you, you silly infuriating woman. I love the parts of you I haven't even met yet."
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.
As much as I love a feel good rom/com, 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.
For all the Helen's out there, Grant Shepard said it best, "you're so easy to love" and don't let anyone make you feel otherwise!
Thank you Hachette Australia & New Zealand, Hodder & Stoughton & Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
⎯⎯ ୨ Pre-review: ୧ ⎯⎯
For my fellow Emily Henry lovers, Yulin Kuang is the screenwriter for People We Meet on Vacation and director of the Beach Read film adaption 😍
This is for introverts with social anxiety, the girlies still figuring it out, the career driven women and the people who grew up with strict parents and struggle expressing how they feel to the people they love.
╰⪼ Synopsis:
Helen Zhang is a best selling YA romance author and her book is being made into a TV series adaption. She moves to LA after earning herself a coveted spot in the writers room alongside longterm screen writer, Grant Shepard. This is Helen's big break and should be the time for excitement. The issue? Helen shares a complex and emotionally charged past with Grant, following an event that took place when they were in high school.
╰⪼ Thoughts
One of the things I loved about this is it feels original in its own right. It didn't try to be any other romance book and it wasn't full of tropes. 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.
"Helen often wonders how much of her relationship has been lost in translation with her parents and how different things would be if they'd never moved to this country."
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 wrote POEMS's about her! 🫠 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.
"I would have fallen in love with you sooner, if you'd let me."
The romance and angst SERVED. 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. This book is spicy and I ate up every bit of it! 🌶️🌶️🌶️ There is a third act event, however, I did see this coming and it felt like a natural occurrence in the story. It did serve a purpose and wasn't one of the worst offenders I've seen.
"You don't have to be completely healed to be everything I want. To be mine. I want every part of you, you silly infuriating woman. I love the parts of you I haven't even met yet."
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.
As much as I love a feel good rom/com, 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.
For all the Helen's out there, Grant Shepard said it best, "you're so easy to love" and don't let anyone make you feel otherwise!
Thank you Hachette Australia & New Zealand, Hodder & Stoughton & Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
⎯⎯ ୨ Pre-review: ୧ ⎯⎯
For my fellow Emily Henry lovers, Yulin Kuang is the screenwriter for People We Meet on Vacation and director of the Beach Read film adaption 😍
January 24, 2025
I equal parts liked and struggled with this book. I never really wanted to pick it up but usually found myself enjoying it once I started reading.
Things I liked: the couch scene, the way the writing mirrored a screenplay, the LA setting, Grant sometimes.
Things I could have done without: crackerjack, Helen, pre-cum, homecoming king references, Grant sometimes.
Things I liked: the couch scene, the way the writing mirrored a screenplay, the LA setting, Grant sometimes.
Things I could have done without: crackerjack, Helen, pre-cum, homecoming king references, Grant sometimes.
April 2, 2025
i should’ve backed off when i heard it was in third person and it proceeded to only go downhill from there.
okay let’s get down to business: this book was positively atrocious. i cannot think of one single positive thing this book had to offer…what the hell! first off, third person. *eye twitches* it can be done well. was that the case here? no! the writing was stilted, sterile, awkward, and every encounter felt like going to the doctor’s office without your mom. that already threw me off and it never got better
their history is SO depressing for what reason? like, at this point that’s not romantic that’s a trauma bond 😳can i recommend you a therapist? it wasn’t even done in a way where you see them grow together, this traumatic event REALLY feels like it was just thrown in there for plot’s sake. the fmc- i don’t remember her name, but she was SUCH. A. DICK. to the lead dude before out of nowhere falling for him, and you guessed it! they’re hooking up!
which brings me to the pacing. all over the place. (kinda like this review, forgive me) you can absolutely feel that a screenwriter wrote this. there was no depth or emotion to these people, just lots of showing vs telling with no real intents or purposes. all in all, what a let down. i know she’s the director/screenwriter for beach read and pwmov, so hopefully her adaptions are better than her book 🫠
okay let’s get down to business: this book was positively atrocious. i cannot think of one single positive thing this book had to offer…what the hell! first off, third person. *eye twitches* it can be done well. was that the case here? no! the writing was stilted, sterile, awkward, and every encounter felt like going to the doctor’s office without your mom. that already threw me off and it never got better
their history is SO depressing for what reason? like, at this point that’s not romantic that’s a trauma bond 😳can i recommend you a therapist? it wasn’t even done in a way where you see them grow together, this traumatic event REALLY feels like it was just thrown in there for plot’s sake. the fmc- i don’t remember her name, but she was SUCH. A. DICK. to the lead dude before out of nowhere falling for him, and you guessed it! they’re hooking up!
which brings me to the pacing. all over the place. (kinda like this review, forgive me) you can absolutely feel that a screenwriter wrote this. there was no depth or emotion to these people, just lots of showing vs telling with no real intents or purposes. all in all, what a let down. i know she’s the director/screenwriter for beach read and pwmov, so hopefully her adaptions are better than her book 🫠
May 12, 2024
➳ 2 stars ✩
⤿ a spoiler free arc review
⤿ tropes: forbidden love, forced proximity, found family, office romance, enemies to lovers (but not really), second chance romance (but again, not really)
⤿ trigger warnings: suicide, substance abuse, panic attacks, car accidents, grief and the death of a sibling
if a book was an oat and raisin cookie masquerading as a chocolate chip one, but you only realise when your knee deep in the sugar high
'how to end a love story' is an angsty contemporary romance between grant shepherd, a screenwriter, and helen zhang, an author. the only problem? 13 years ago, helen's sister committed suicide by throwing herself in front of grant's car. now, the two have to work together to bring helen's popular book series to life.
and i hated all of it.
i connected to neither of the mcs and i think this took me out of the story the most. helen was very boring and grant was just utterly pathetic. they both fell horny-over-heads into an insta-lust that they continuously denied and it was incredibly frustrating to read about.
found family you say? count me in. forced 'moments' between characters with no depth? i'm running away so fast there is a saffiyah-shaped hole in the wall.
third acts. never been happier about one, and i’ve never been more upset at the resolution. but tbh it was for no real reason, it was just sort of thrown in there with the worst build up and then resolved in moments. i love angst, just not when it’s annoying and predictable.
they were enemies for as long as they were broken up (not long at all) which was just stupid. WHY MUST WE BE DEPRIVEDD???
the word choices were giving me the ick more than grant was. he was GROWILNG! how does one physically growl? is this supposed to be attractive?? is he part wolf??? an alpha male???? and helen was no better with her stupid ‘weak ha’. please, for the love of God, learn how to laugh like a normal person, or at least laugh less. plus, everything was described as 'naked' before they had sex the first time, although maybe that was just kuang’s way of foreshadowing? all i know is that it made me want to rip my eyelashes off.
and in regards to the writing as a whole, it felt very stilted and detached (dual-pov in third person) and it did feel more like a screenplay: he said 'words'. she let out a weak 'ha'. he growled. they had sex. the end!).
and on the topic of sex, there was more smut than plot, and their relationship was so physical that i felt like a third-wheel third-wheeling on another third wheel who - you guessed it - is another third wheel. the writing style didn’t help.
for a couple who had sustained as much trauma as they had, there was very little talking about their mental health. it was as though their relationship was purely physical and every time anything about feelings and the like would arise they would just.. have more sex.
the stigma around mental health in the asian community was never addressed and there was so much potential wasted. and for a book with such heavy themes, their happy ending felt too convenient, too forced.
(+ more dislikes but i am very sick and thinking about this book is giving me a headache, so more to come later)
bottom line: this book was so much yet so little at the same time - - - you will not catch me watching beach read or pwmov in the cinema any time soon.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest thoughts!
__
a very long pre-review:
remind me to never be excited about a book again.
could i just direct your attention to the blurb? oh, you don't want to click off of this (pre)review of complete brilliance? i don't blame you either.
so i'll write it here: the brilliant contemporary romance novel debut from yulin kuang, the acclaimed screenwriter of emily henry’s 'people we meet on vacation' and director of the forthcoming 'beach read' feature film.
emily. henry.
i love emily henry. i have never rated a book of hers lower than 3 stars. that is a very big number. it's two stars above my usual rating. (it's also the first odd prime number but that's not important here: emily henry is important here.)
if i had an auto-buy author, it would be emily henry. i love the way she seamlessly blends the pain, angst, and sadness of being in a relationship into a story of beautiful romance.
when i got this arc i was overjoyed. but, alas, it was not to be; i got lovestruck and it went straight to my head. to be fair, my expectations were startlingly high, but what else was i supposed to do when the author is the screenwriter of emily henry. i mean she even rated it five stars! it was meant to be. and then being approved for the arc (despite my ratio being abysmal) was fate.
but i digress from the topic at hand: i believed that this would be the best romance i read this year.
i strongly dislike it when i am proved wrong.
i strongly disliked this book. for many reasons. i just don't want to talk about said reasons right now.
another unpopular opinion. for once, i'm surprised. and for once, i hate that i need to rant but for some reason i don't want to?! what has the world come to??
2.5★ (later dropped to 2)
a full, coherent rtc
_
tbr-review:
the cover makes me happy
⤿ a spoiler free arc review
⤿ tropes: forbidden love, forced proximity, found family, office romance, enemies to lovers (but not really), second chance romance (but again, not really)
⤿ trigger warnings: suicide, substance abuse, panic attacks, car accidents, grief and the death of a sibling
if a book was an oat and raisin cookie masquerading as a chocolate chip one, but you only realise when your knee deep in the sugar high
'how to end a love story' is an angsty contemporary romance between grant shepherd, a screenwriter, and helen zhang, an author. the only problem? 13 years ago, helen's sister committed suicide by throwing herself in front of grant's car. now, the two have to work together to bring helen's popular book series to life.
and i hated all of it.
i connected to neither of the mcs and i think this took me out of the story the most. helen was very boring and grant was just utterly pathetic. they both fell horny-over-heads into an insta-lust that they continuously denied and it was incredibly frustrating to read about.
found family you say? count me in. forced 'moments' between characters with no depth? i'm running away so fast there is a saffiyah-shaped hole in the wall.
third acts. never been happier about one, and i’ve never been more upset at the resolution. but tbh it was for no real reason, it was just sort of thrown in there with the worst build up and then resolved in moments. i love angst, just not when it’s annoying and predictable.
they were enemies for as long as they were broken up (not long at all) which was just stupid. WHY MUST WE BE DEPRIVEDD???
the word choices were giving me the ick more than grant was. he was GROWILNG! how does one physically growl? is this supposed to be attractive?? is he part wolf??? an alpha male???? and helen was no better with her stupid ‘weak ha’. please, for the love of God, learn how to laugh like a normal person, or at least laugh less. plus, everything was described as 'naked' before they had sex the first time, although maybe that was just kuang’s way of foreshadowing? all i know is that it made me want to rip my eyelashes off.
and in regards to the writing as a whole, it felt very stilted and detached (dual-pov in third person) and it did feel more like a screenplay: he said 'words'. she let out a weak 'ha'. he growled. they had sex. the end!).
and on the topic of sex, there was more smut than plot, and their relationship was so physical that i felt like a third-wheel third-wheeling on another third wheel who - you guessed it - is another third wheel. the writing style didn’t help.
for a couple who had sustained as much trauma as they had, there was very little talking about their mental health. it was as though their relationship was purely physical and every time anything about feelings and the like would arise they would just.. have more sex.
the stigma around mental health in the asian community was never addressed and there was so much potential wasted. and for a book with such heavy themes, their happy ending felt too convenient, too forced.
(+ more dislikes but i am very sick and thinking about this book is giving me a headache, so more to come later)
bottom line: this book was so much yet so little at the same time - - - you will not catch me watching beach read or pwmov in the cinema any time soon.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest thoughts!
__
a very long pre-review:
remind me to never be excited about a book again.
could i just direct your attention to the blurb? oh, you don't want to click off of this (pre)review of complete brilliance? i don't blame you either.
so i'll write it here: the brilliant contemporary romance novel debut from yulin kuang, the acclaimed screenwriter of emily henry’s 'people we meet on vacation' and director of the forthcoming 'beach read' feature film.
emily. henry.
i love emily henry. i have never rated a book of hers lower than 3 stars. that is a very big number. it's two stars above my usual rating. (it's also the first odd prime number but that's not important here: emily henry is important here.)
if i had an auto-buy author, it would be emily henry. i love the way she seamlessly blends the pain, angst, and sadness of being in a relationship into a story of beautiful romance.
when i got this arc i was overjoyed. but, alas, it was not to be; i got lovestruck and it went straight to my head. to be fair, my expectations were startlingly high, but what else was i supposed to do when the author is the screenwriter of emily henry. i mean she even rated it five stars! it was meant to be. and then being approved for the arc (despite my ratio being abysmal) was fate.
but i digress from the topic at hand: i believed that this would be the best romance i read this year.
i strongly dislike it when i am proved wrong.
i strongly disliked this book. for many reasons. i just don't want to talk about said reasons right now.
another unpopular opinion. for once, i'm surprised. and for once, i hate that i need to rant but for some reason i don't want to?! what has the world come to??
2.5★ (later dropped to 2)
a full, coherent rtc
_
tbr-review:
the cover makes me happy
November 20, 2025
Where do I even start with this book? I hated it. And I’m not even being hyperbolic. I read this in January, and it’s now November, and I still feel rage fill me when I think about it. It’s meant to be a romcom, but the premise is absolutely bonkers and, quite honestly, deeply disturbing. *spoilers for the first chapter/the blurb incoming…* The protagonist’s little sister died as a pedestrian hit by a car, in what was believed to be a suicide attempt, and the person driving that car is the love interest. Yes, the protagonist is supposed to fall in love with the man who killed her sister, and that premise alone made me immediately recoil in horror.
The book opens with a deeply uncomfortable scene at the sister’s funeral, where the love interest shows up to everyone’s (understandable) dismay. From there, we watch the romance (or more accurately, lust) unfold, but there’s no emotional development or genuine connection whatsoever. The characters are bland and uninteresting, and the sex scenes are rife with painfully awkward dialogue and somewhat aggressive dirty talk that feels unnatural - the contrast between their bland everyday selves and their overly self-confident and sensual dirty-talking selves was jarring and utterly unconvincing.
What bothered me even more than the premise and the cringey sex scenes was the way the book treated suicide and grief. The protagonist’s perspective on her sister’s death is not just insensitive but outright disrespectful and cruel. The teenage sister’s struggle with addiction and mental health is brushed off with ignorant assumptions, and the protagonist’s fixation on exploiting her sister’s death for her own success as a professional writer is disgusting. The sister is constantly portrayed in a negative, selfish light, making it impossible for me to empathize with or root for the protagonist.
On top of all this, the obsession with the love interest’s full name (Grant Shepherd shudder) is excessive to a ridiculous degree. He’s referred to by his full name 69 times (I kid you not. I wish I were.), and even worse, seven of those times it’s “Grant fucking Shepherd,” mostly in his own internal monologue, where he hyped himself up with the outsized ego that only the most mediocre white man can possess. The whole dynamic, especially given his role in the sister’s death, is unsettling, unbelievable, and profoundly upsetting. The fact that the protagonist is shocked by her family’s anger over the relationship adds to the overall tone-deafness and lack of consideration for the serious issues being trotted out as set dressing in this novel.
I can’t believe this book won a popularity contest on this very website. Some of y’all truly have terrible taste (I said what I said!!)
Trigger/Content Warnings: suicide, death, car accident, loss of a sibling, grief, medical content
Rep: MC is Chinese American, MMC has panic attacks, side characters are lesbian and gay
Spice: Explicit Open Door
Original review: I hated this. Genuinely.
Read along with all the winners of the Goodreads choice awards: https://youtu.be/5gC5yHaWnbY
You can find me on...
Youtube | Instagram | TikTok
You can join our book club over on Patreon...
PBB Book Club
The book opens with a deeply uncomfortable scene at the sister’s funeral, where the love interest shows up to everyone’s (understandable) dismay. From there, we watch the romance (or more accurately, lust) unfold, but there’s no emotional development or genuine connection whatsoever. The characters are bland and uninteresting, and the sex scenes are rife with painfully awkward dialogue and somewhat aggressive dirty talk that feels unnatural - the contrast between their bland everyday selves and their overly self-confident and sensual dirty-talking selves was jarring and utterly unconvincing.
What bothered me even more than the premise and the cringey sex scenes was the way the book treated suicide and grief. The protagonist’s perspective on her sister’s death is not just insensitive but outright disrespectful and cruel. The teenage sister’s struggle with addiction and mental health is brushed off with ignorant assumptions, and the protagonist’s fixation on exploiting her sister’s death for her own success as a professional writer is disgusting. The sister is constantly portrayed in a negative, selfish light, making it impossible for me to empathize with or root for the protagonist.
On top of all this, the obsession with the love interest’s full name (Grant Shepherd shudder) is excessive to a ridiculous degree. He’s referred to by his full name 69 times (I kid you not. I wish I were.), and even worse, seven of those times it’s “Grant fucking Shepherd,” mostly in his own internal monologue, where he hyped himself up with the outsized ego that only the most mediocre white man can possess. The whole dynamic, especially given his role in the sister’s death, is unsettling, unbelievable, and profoundly upsetting. The fact that the protagonist is shocked by her family’s anger over the relationship adds to the overall tone-deafness and lack of consideration for the serious issues being trotted out as set dressing in this novel.
I can’t believe this book won a popularity contest on this very website. Some of y’all truly have terrible taste (I said what I said!!)
Trigger/Content Warnings: suicide, death, car accident, loss of a sibling, grief, medical content
Rep: MC is Chinese American, MMC has panic attacks, side characters are lesbian and gay
Spice: Explicit Open Door
Original review: I hated this. Genuinely.
Read along with all the winners of the Goodreads choice awards: https://youtu.be/5gC5yHaWnbY
You can find me on...
Youtube | Instagram | TikTok
You can join our book club over on Patreon...
PBB Book Club
March 1, 2024
In my opinion, this is not a romantic book. This is two characters trauma bonding and calling it love.
October 22, 2024
I've securely placed this book in my top ten best romances of 2024 with its blazing, heart-wrenching, high chemistry, trauma-bound enemies-to-lovers, and quirky writer stars!
I'm thankful to Reese Witherspoon's Book Club for putting this book on my radar. It was already on my TBR list, but I had some hesitations after seeing some mixed reviews.
I know opinions and tastes are subjective, but I'm telling you, I loved this book with all my heart and soul. Yes, it's not flawless work; Helen Zhang is a closed, restrained character who keeps things behind walls, and it takes time to get used to her antics, motivations, and actions.
On the other hand, Grant Shephard, the social butterfly, good in room, great in bed, homecoming king, charming man who is still dealing with traumatic baggage connecting him with Helen, is a more likable character. Their love story is far from perfect, which makes it more precious, realistic, genuine, and palpable. They are struggling, holding each other to protect themselves from the shattered pieces of life thrown their way. They are competing with each other. Definitely far from shallow!
As a screenwriter, Yulin Kuang added some movie references in smart ways into the story. There’s a “coat track” part which symbolizes the kindest gesture of Grant, who takes Helen to shop for coat tracks for a special reason. The same coat tracks they put between them throughout the car driving as if they’re symbolizing their emotional barriers, but then they hold each other’s hands under the barriers, which shows there’s still hope they can find their way into each other's hearts. (Well, if this book turns into a movie by the author, I wish she can convince Taylor Swift to write a song about “Coat Tracks” for this beautiful scene.)
Okay, you might think I��m blabbering, thinking out loud, typing gibberish, but let me tell you, I haven’t read something that pulled my heartstrings out from my chest and turned me into a tear-jerker like this in a while, so mission accomplished. The debut baby of Yulin Kuang is exceptionally promising. I’m so excited to read more of her works, and I’m extra excited for her perspective on Emily Henry’s “Beach Read,” which will be adapted into a movie by her (she will also hold the director title! Yay).
I advise you to read this heartfelt, sexy, pant-melting, tear-jerking healing journey of Helen and Grant, showing how they learn to deal with their past baggage, destroying their emotional walls to open up their hearts for the warming healing of unconditional love!
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
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I'm thankful to Reese Witherspoon's Book Club for putting this book on my radar. It was already on my TBR list, but I had some hesitations after seeing some mixed reviews.
I know opinions and tastes are subjective, but I'm telling you, I loved this book with all my heart and soul. Yes, it's not flawless work; Helen Zhang is a closed, restrained character who keeps things behind walls, and it takes time to get used to her antics, motivations, and actions.
On the other hand, Grant Shephard, the social butterfly, good in room, great in bed, homecoming king, charming man who is still dealing with traumatic baggage connecting him with Helen, is a more likable character. Their love story is far from perfect, which makes it more precious, realistic, genuine, and palpable. They are struggling, holding each other to protect themselves from the shattered pieces of life thrown their way. They are competing with each other. Definitely far from shallow!
As a screenwriter, Yulin Kuang added some movie references in smart ways into the story. There’s a “coat track” part which symbolizes the kindest gesture of Grant, who takes Helen to shop for coat tracks for a special reason. The same coat tracks they put between them throughout the car driving as if they’re symbolizing their emotional barriers, but then they hold each other’s hands under the barriers, which shows there’s still hope they can find their way into each other's hearts. (Well, if this book turns into a movie by the author, I wish she can convince Taylor Swift to write a song about “Coat Tracks” for this beautiful scene.)
Okay, you might think I��m blabbering, thinking out loud, typing gibberish, but let me tell you, I haven’t read something that pulled my heartstrings out from my chest and turned me into a tear-jerker like this in a while, so mission accomplished. The debut baby of Yulin Kuang is exceptionally promising. I’m so excited to read more of her works, and I’m extra excited for her perspective on Emily Henry’s “Beach Read,” which will be adapted into a movie by her (she will also hold the director title! Yay).
I advise you to read this heartfelt, sexy, pant-melting, tear-jerking healing journey of Helen and Grant, showing how they learn to deal with their past baggage, destroying their emotional walls to open up their hearts for the warming healing of unconditional love!
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium.com
March 6, 2025
╰┈➤ 2 stars!
this book was…underwhelming.
౨ৎ helen. i can relate to this woman literally on another level! however, she annoyed me so much, and since i can relate to her, i thought that if i was like her, i’d be so annoyed at myself. even though she annoyed me so many times, i still think that she’s a well rounded character given her experiences in life and her complexities just makes her her.
౨ৎ grant. this man had been through so much that i’m actually contemplating if helen really deserves him. even with helen’s personality, it didn’t stop him from totally understanding her. he’s such a well written character because he’s not afraid to show vulnerability to other people.
overall, i enjoyed this story even though most parts fell short for me. it had a lot of potential that’s why i finished it.
・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・
pre-read:
first yulin kuang book i’ll ever read. idk if i should expect much from this book or not, but i love the book cover sm!
this book was…underwhelming.
౨ৎ helen. i can relate to this woman literally on another level! however, she annoyed me so much, and since i can relate to her, i thought that if i was like her, i’d be so annoyed at myself. even though she annoyed me so many times, i still think that she’s a well rounded character given her experiences in life and her complexities just makes her her.
౨ৎ grant. this man had been through so much that i’m actually contemplating if helen really deserves him. even with helen’s personality, it didn’t stop him from totally understanding her. he’s such a well written character because he’s not afraid to show vulnerability to other people.
overall, i enjoyed this story even though most parts fell short for me. it had a lot of potential that’s why i finished it.
・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・
pre-read:
first yulin kuang book i’ll ever read. idk if i should expect much from this book or not, but i love the book cover sm!
April 9, 2024
you know what helen, you were right. this man deserves better than you
![Profile Image for ⊹ ࣪ ˖ ꒰ঌ mimi ໒꒱ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ [semi-ia].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1717798941i%2F161661704._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
August 15, 2024
“You’re my favorite thing to look at in that room,”
“And no matter how hard I try”—“you never look back at me.”
“Are you looking at me now?”
✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦ ✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦ ✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦
rating: ★ ★ ★
plot:
a screen writer and a novelist find themselves working together on a adaption for a book series, but they already know each other because they went to high school together. the catch is they weren’t friends but Helen’s (fmc) sister committed suicide and jumped in front of a car and the person driving just happened to be Grant (mmc).
✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦ ✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦ ✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦
overall thoughts:
honestly im gonna try and not rant because i did enjoy this but i do have a few thoughts that hopefully don’t make me lower my rating 😅
firstly and most importantly, in my opinion if these two didn’t go through what they went through I honestly believe they would’ve never gave each other a chance. Their whole relationship is just based on trauma bonding.
If im being honest the traumatic event feels like it was just thrown in here for them to be connected somehow.
the fmc was so mean to the mmc. like she hated this man and he was trying to be nice and professional towards her but no she would tell him “I don’t need your help” and other things (example below this 👇) for literally something he wasn’t even at fault for???
"Stop-stop trying to be nice to me, stop trying to explain things to me, stop calling us friends, stop trying to help. I don't want your help, I've never wanted your help"
still kinda on the topic of her being mean towards the mmc. I honesty thought their “relationship” was gonna begin entirely different.
I thought he was gonna have a panic attack and she was gonna help him through it and their feelings were gonna grow from there or something around those lines, but yea no that’s not close to what happens.
so obviously they don’t get along (because of her) and the other people they work with notice and decide to go on a camping work retreat and I forget how/why but they switch sleeping arrangements and she has to go pick up the comforter he took and it smells like him so obviously she dreams about him and boom after that they get flirty and sexual relationship starts. this also happens 20% in so yea 😀
would like to state their sexual encounters didn’t start right away from that, but their was tension and angst (which I loved) but her being mean completely stopped outta nowhere and he was over here in love and interested in her so fast ??? I was so confused 😭
let me just stop now because of course when I don’t intend to do a rant review it somehow still ends up being a whole rant review and i know if i keep going i will eventually hate this book 😭😭😭
✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦ ✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦ ✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦
characters:
Helen
yea no, she was mean for no reason and doesn’t deserve the mmc. bye
Grant
I actually did love his character a lot and felt so bad for him, not just what trauma he was going through but with him also having to deal with Helen. This man confessed he loved her, literally begged 🥲 she doesn’t deserve him at all
also there’s a scene I won’t forget (it’s in my updates too) 🫣 and it’s when they’re both in the office together and he’s kneeling in front of her asking her if she sees him now (the quote in the beginning of this review) right before he does “you know” what and when he’s done doing that HE WRITES HIS ADDRESS ON HER THIGH IN CASE SHE NEEDS IT AFTER HER DATE WITH ANOTHER COWORKER MINUTES AWAY 😮💨 PLS THAT WAS SO HOT 🧎🏻♀️
honestly he’s the whole reason why i rated this book so higher than i normally would and during the third act breakup he almost had me tearing up 🥲
✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦ ✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦ ✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦
final thoughts:
if this wasn’t a friends with benefits/ situationship story I probably would’ve loved this more and rated it higher but I felt the third act breakup from the beginning of their “arrangement” and was dreading it and it made me so mad.
i hate that this was in third person 😭 I don’t mind third person povs but in romance?? pls i need to know their feeling and their exact thoughts 😭😭😭 their povs were constantly changing within a chapter without letting us know who was who so in third person it made it harder 😭
both of them need to find new therapists because the ones they have honestly didn’t help them at all😭
this was somewhat a rant review which is funny to me because i still rated this fairly higher than i usually would when I rant about a book.
please check trigger warnings before reading this book
—————
pre read: still don’t know what book im in the mood for but my library borrow is about to expire 😵💫
Read
April 10, 2024DNF at 75%
This was such a tough one for me. I decided to DNF because it was a three star and going down as I was continuing the story.
Please know this opens with the heroine's sister dying by suicide when they are in high school. The hero was involved in the incident and her family places a lot of blame on him, even though he didn't even know the sister or cause the event. Years later, the heroine is creating a show based on her novels and the hero is hired as another writer on the show. She immediately lets him know she still doesn't like him. This is a really tough book for me because both characters are just so unhappy with their lives and we follow them both being unhappy and the going home and still feeling unhappy with their lives. I felt bad they both had such a traumatic experience when they were younger and they were both still working through that.
The writers' room was fun, but the humor felt a bit forced to me and I felt like we didn't truly get to know a lot of those characters. The hero and heroine end up spending more time together as they go home for the holidays and the relationship turned super insta-lust and I just didn't find myself caring about their romance. The plot was really slow and definitely more character driven, which is hard for me when I don't particularly love the characters. I wasn't excited to see where the plot was going because there really wasn't a whole lot of places it could go. Because of the insta-lust, I didn't feel the romance and the trauma wasn't fully explored before they started hooking up and she was suddenly just okay with this hero she supposedly hated since the prologue. I didn't mind the story until they just starting sleeping together over and over again without any more development to their relationship.
So many people love this book, though, so I just don't think it was for me.
This was such a tough one for me. I decided to DNF because it was a three star and going down as I was continuing the story.
Please know this opens with the heroine's sister dying by suicide when they are in high school. The hero was involved in the incident and her family places a lot of blame on him, even though he didn't even know the sister or cause the event. Years later, the heroine is creating a show based on her novels and the hero is hired as another writer on the show. She immediately lets him know she still doesn't like him. This is a really tough book for me because both characters are just so unhappy with their lives and we follow them both being unhappy and the going home and still feeling unhappy with their lives. I felt bad they both had such a traumatic experience when they were younger and they were both still working through that.
The writers' room was fun, but the humor felt a bit forced to me and I felt like we didn't truly get to know a lot of those characters. The hero and heroine end up spending more time together as they go home for the holidays and the relationship turned super insta-lust and I just didn't find myself caring about their romance. The plot was really slow and definitely more character driven, which is hard for me when I don't particularly love the characters. I wasn't excited to see where the plot was going because there really wasn't a whole lot of places it could go. Because of the insta-lust, I didn't feel the romance and the trauma wasn't fully explored before they started hooking up and she was suddenly just okay with this hero she supposedly hated since the prologue. I didn't mind the story until they just starting sleeping together over and over again without any more development to their relationship.
So many people love this book, though, so I just don't think it was for me.
May 3, 2024
Jail to whoever claims this book is comparable to Emily Henry.
May 4, 2024
this was a good emo, spicy romance! overall i’m not entirely sure how i felt about the trauma bond, but i did enjoy the story. this was also just picked up by Reese as a book club pick of hers! would be a good one to discuss with others.
what i liked most about this story was the MC finding herself and her path and also learning to forgive herself. trying not to spoil, but there were some things she did before a major event in the book happened that ended up haunting her for years to come so i was happy to see that play out during the “coming of age” plot of this one.
this was a deeper romance and certainly isn’t a funny, happy, light romcom. its much deeper and emo and deals with grief and regret. very strong side plots and not just all about the romance story (which are my fave kind of romance books—think Katherine Center or Abby Jimenez style).
this also had more spice than i was expecting! so the girlies who love spicy novels will enjoy some chapters in here. one chapter is giving “what if he’s written MINE on my upper thigh” vibes… iykyk
overall, worth the read! the author is very talented and also a screenwriter (making Emily Henry’s BEACH READ script). i could see this play out so well in my head and tbh would love to see this get adapted too!
what i liked most about this story was the MC finding herself and her path and also learning to forgive herself. trying not to spoil, but there were some things she did before a major event in the book happened that ended up haunting her for years to come so i was happy to see that play out during the “coming of age” plot of this one.
this was a deeper romance and certainly isn’t a funny, happy, light romcom. its much deeper and emo and deals with grief and regret. very strong side plots and not just all about the romance story (which are my fave kind of romance books—think Katherine Center or Abby Jimenez style).
this also had more spice than i was expecting! so the girlies who love spicy novels will enjoy some chapters in here. one chapter is giving “what if he’s written MINE on my upper thigh” vibes… iykyk
overall, worth the read! the author is very talented and also a screenwriter (making Emily Henry’s BEACH READ script). i could see this play out so well in my head and tbh would love to see this get adapted too!
April 16, 2024
This started so strong for me, but I was unconvinced by the romance which made it all fall apart for me. The MC goes from hate to obsession so quickly, and then from the 40-70% it feels like just a lot of sex scenes without a lot of real emotional connection which is important for me in a romance! Disappointing because I loved the first 40% so much, but I’ll check out more from this author in the future and see if another book works better for me!
July 29, 2025
Oh boy. The reviews are polarizing for a reason. While I initially thought I'd flat out hate this, I found myself surprised by loving the first 20%. Things went downhill soon after.
While I tire of WMAF as the predominant IR relationship I see both in books and irl, I was willing to give this one a chance due to the premise of the story. This isn't a spoiler as it's in the description, and truly the first few pages of the book, but in high school, Helen's sister jumps in front of a moving car in order to die. The car is Grant's. He is homecoming king, and overall, a popular good looking guy. Helen, while not unpopular, is none of these things. I'm not sure why this matters so much thirteen years later.
Helen is now famous for writing a series of YA books, in part based on her sister and life. These books are being turned into a TV show. Grant is one of the screenwriters. Some of the reviewers have issues with the popular boy becoming a writer, but not all writers are your stereotypical nerd. Hollywood is full of nepotism, and while Grant didn't "know anyone," looks will get you far in LA, and perhaps anywhere.
I am loathe to call this enemies to lovers, as Helen and Grant aren't truly enemies. They know each other, barely, by circumstance. However, that is what sells, even if it is misapplied to more than half of the books it supposedly labels.
There's a lot of sex here, so if you're into that, welcome. It's the other things I take issue with. The lack of communication, the strange communication, the out of nowhere communication - all of these things should've been shown and not told. I hear from writer friends that this definitely feels like a screenwriter wrote it. And to be fair, Yulin is, by trade, a screenwriter. I have less issues with the writing than the rest of the things occurring.
Helen's relationship with her parents, while fraught, isn't über concerning. It's when Grant tries to dissect what he finds strange that I really get angry. I've dated a few more white men than I care to admit to. Looking back, a thing that really gets to me, is the lack of understanding toward my parents, and what they find impersonal about them. They are not impersonal. They're just not the stereotypical white parents. And that's fine. If I can code-switch with barely a second thought, why isn't the same consideration being given to me?
I obviously had a myriad of problems with this, but not everyone will, and search different reviews before making the decision to read it. Some of my friends loved this. Quite a few more hated it. But as always, I won't tell you what to do.
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Avon
While I tire of WMAF as the predominant IR relationship I see both in books and irl, I was willing to give this one a chance due to the premise of the story. This isn't a spoiler as it's in the description, and truly the first few pages of the book, but in high school, Helen's sister jumps in front of a moving car in order to die. The car is Grant's. He is homecoming king, and overall, a popular good looking guy. Helen, while not unpopular, is none of these things. I'm not sure why this matters so much thirteen years later.
Helen is now famous for writing a series of YA books, in part based on her sister and life. These books are being turned into a TV show. Grant is one of the screenwriters. Some of the reviewers have issues with the popular boy becoming a writer, but not all writers are your stereotypical nerd. Hollywood is full of nepotism, and while Grant didn't "know anyone," looks will get you far in LA, and perhaps anywhere.
I am loathe to call this enemies to lovers, as Helen and Grant aren't truly enemies. They know each other, barely, by circumstance. However, that is what sells, even if it is misapplied to more than half of the books it supposedly labels.
There's a lot of sex here, so if you're into that, welcome. It's the other things I take issue with. The lack of communication, the strange communication, the out of nowhere communication - all of these things should've been shown and not told. I hear from writer friends that this definitely feels like a screenwriter wrote it. And to be fair, Yulin is, by trade, a screenwriter. I have less issues with the writing than the rest of the things occurring.
Helen's relationship with her parents, while fraught, isn't über concerning. It's when Grant tries to dissect what he finds strange that I really get angry. I've dated a few more white men than I care to admit to. Looking back, a thing that really gets to me, is the lack of understanding toward my parents, and what they find impersonal about them. They are not impersonal. They're just not the stereotypical white parents. And that's fine. If I can code-switch with barely a second thought, why isn't the same consideration being given to me?
I obviously had a myriad of problems with this, but not everyone will, and search different reviews before making the decision to read it. Some of my friends loved this. Quite a few more hated it. But as always, I won't tell you what to do.
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Avon
February 12, 2025
Many call this story trauma bonding, but I’ll call it therapeutic coincidence. It happens like that sometimes. How to End a Love Story was heartbreaking and healing in synchrony. The book was a love lesson: Grief and love could coexist without being toxic.
As a second-generation American, I felt like this story was quite relatable. Helen is a successful author, preparing to turn her novel into a screenplay. She isn't becoming a doctor, but at least she's made it in her parent's eyes.
Things haven't been easy. Her sister, Michele, died by suicide, and her family is broken, impossibly. No one talks about what happened. Helen lost her only sister, and her mother is judgemental as ever.
When Helen arrives in LA to sit in a writer's room, bringing her novel to life, she never thought she would see Grant Shepeard. Shepeard, the boy, connects to her past at the most pivotal moment of her life. Grant is everything Helen isn't; they exist in two opposite worlds.
As they begin writing, Helen and Grant can't connect. Helen keeps him at arm's length and struggles to leave the past behind.
Inevitably and through some coincidences (only fiction can provide), Helen and Grant come together. Their passionate, eat-your-heart-out love is a burning flame that ignites and dims equally.
Helen is forced to wrestle with her parent's feelings and her own. She is strangled by culture, a struggle she's tried running away from her entire life. It's complicated to abide by the rigid rules of family and still proclaim the utmost love and respect.
Helen and Grant exchanged movie-worthy banter, but I’m safeguarding them for those who read this lovely story.
I loved everything about this book and hope others will enjoy it as much as I did. It's a slow-burn, character-driven story about returning from loss, finding love, and a safe place for yourself beyond the boundaries of society and culture.
5/5 star
As a second-generation American, I felt like this story was quite relatable. Helen is a successful author, preparing to turn her novel into a screenplay. She isn't becoming a doctor, but at least she's made it in her parent's eyes.
Things haven't been easy. Her sister, Michele, died by suicide, and her family is broken, impossibly. No one talks about what happened. Helen lost her only sister, and her mother is judgemental as ever.
"It's suffocating being loved by you...you don't leave me an inch to breathe." Mom stares at Helen, stunned. "I'm your mother," she says. I f*king know" I don't hate you, she wants to say, I just hate the way you love me
When Helen arrives in LA to sit in a writer's room, bringing her novel to life, she never thought she would see Grant Shepeard. Shepeard, the boy, connects to her past at the most pivotal moment of her life. Grant is everything Helen isn't; they exist in two opposite worlds.
As they begin writing, Helen and Grant can't connect. Helen keeps him at arm's length and struggles to leave the past behind.
Helen tries to remind herself that her least favorite thing about herself is how much she cares about what other people think. And that they probably aren't thinking about her anyway
Inevitably and through some coincidences (only fiction can provide), Helen and Grant come together. Their passionate, eat-your-heart-out love is a burning flame that ignites and dims equally.
Helen is forced to wrestle with her parent's feelings and her own. She is strangled by culture, a struggle she's tried running away from her entire life. It's complicated to abide by the rigid rules of family and still proclaim the utmost love and respect.
She loves her parents, she does, but it's a prickly, complicated love, and suddenly Helen is swept up in a hopeless feeling that maybe all she's capable of is prickly, complicated loving
Helen and Grant exchanged movie-worthy banter, but I’m safeguarding them for those who read this lovely story.
I loved everything about this book and hope others will enjoy it as much as I did. It's a slow-burn, character-driven story about returning from loss, finding love, and a safe place for yourself beyond the boundaries of society and culture.
5/5 star
August 13, 2024
"I want all of it this time," Grant says, his voice harsh and impossibly close. "I want the nights and the days and the weekends and the holidays and I want you at my side and in my bed and in my life. I want to meet your parents and I want to take you to a sheep farm in fucking Ireland and my dad's place in Boston. I want to see what kind of person you are when you're eighty. I want to do this for real, and to call you
mine
so badly it's a fucking
joke."
This was a hefty topic to tackle for a romance storyline, and I'm not quite sure this book effectively did so. And the writing at times seemed really disconnected.
But I really enjoyed both characters and the development of their relationship along with the screenwriting they were doing; I wish a little more time was spent on that portion of it.
Overall, this was a fairly average but still a good book for a first time author.
Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
This was a hefty topic to tackle for a romance storyline, and I'm not quite sure this book effectively did so. And the writing at times seemed really disconnected.
But I really enjoyed both characters and the development of their relationship along with the screenwriting they were doing; I wish a little more time was spent on that portion of it.
Overall, this was a fairly average but still a good book for a first time author.
Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
August 29, 2024
DNF @ 60%
I hardly DNF books; but this was not for me!
The two stars I gave it was because the first half had so much potential and I was loving where the story was going.
However, I love spice but I do not need chapters (plural) of literal play by plays. Some people may love this but after the second chapter of it, I was done. The plot got completely lost.
✨❤️ TBR Jar Prompt: Book with a pink cover ❤️✨
Why not add a 3rd book to my current reads!
Listening to this one on audio while driving!
I hardly DNF books; but this was not for me!
The two stars I gave it was because the first half had so much potential and I was loving where the story was going.
However, I love spice but I do not need chapters (plural) of literal play by plays. Some people may love this but after the second chapter of it, I was done. The plot got completely lost.
✨❤️ TBR Jar Prompt: Book with a pink cover ❤️✨
Why not add a 3rd book to my current reads!
Listening to this one on audio while driving!
April 5, 2024
THIS IS MY FAVORITE ROMANCE BOOK EVER. E V E R.
How To End A Love Story feels like a first kiss-- the anticipatory tingle, the butterflies going buckwild in your stomach, the electricity surging just beneath the skin. It’s all forbidden touches, desperate yearning, stolen moments. It is spiraling, spiraling, spiraling.
Basically, Helen Zhang, first-born daughter of immigrant parents and sister to a girl who killed herself by running out in front of a car, is now in Los Angeles developing her wildly successful YA series into a TV show. Despite her success, she finds herself isolated, wracked with imposter syndrome and a mountain of self-doubt. And the cherry on top: Grant Shephard is also in that writer’s room. Grant Shephard, driver of the car that killed her sister 13 years ago. Grant Shephard, most affable guy in the room who now suffers from panic attacks and imposter syndrome. Bound by shared trauma and forced proximity, Helen and Grant try their hardest to coexist. And maybe comingle. They are two people who aren’t meant to have a love story. Is this connection an accident? Or could it be fate?
This is a love story, but it is also the story of two broken people in an impossible situation, careening toward heartbreak. This is the story of two people who believe themselves to be insufficient, two people who delude themselves into finding comfort in their loneliness. Helen and Grant long for more, for something neither feel like they deserve. And How To End A Love Story beautifully shows how one can begin to emerge from under the burden of unrealistic expectations, of living for others, and perhaps just daring to live for yourself.
I mean it when I say And How To End A Love Story is the BEST romance book I have ever read. It is also one of my new favorite books. It gives “This Is Me Trying” combined with the most tender spice. I swear, all of you need to read this book. I have wanted to reread it every single day since I finished it, and I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy in April.
How To End A Love Story feels like a first kiss-- the anticipatory tingle, the butterflies going buckwild in your stomach, the electricity surging just beneath the skin. It’s all forbidden touches, desperate yearning, stolen moments. It is spiraling, spiraling, spiraling.
Basically, Helen Zhang, first-born daughter of immigrant parents and sister to a girl who killed herself by running out in front of a car, is now in Los Angeles developing her wildly successful YA series into a TV show. Despite her success, she finds herself isolated, wracked with imposter syndrome and a mountain of self-doubt. And the cherry on top: Grant Shephard is also in that writer’s room. Grant Shephard, driver of the car that killed her sister 13 years ago. Grant Shephard, most affable guy in the room who now suffers from panic attacks and imposter syndrome. Bound by shared trauma and forced proximity, Helen and Grant try their hardest to coexist. And maybe comingle. They are two people who aren’t meant to have a love story. Is this connection an accident? Or could it be fate?
This is a love story, but it is also the story of two broken people in an impossible situation, careening toward heartbreak. This is the story of two people who believe themselves to be insufficient, two people who delude themselves into finding comfort in their loneliness. Helen and Grant long for more, for something neither feel like they deserve. And How To End A Love Story beautifully shows how one can begin to emerge from under the burden of unrealistic expectations, of living for others, and perhaps just daring to live for yourself.
I mean it when I say And How To End A Love Story is the BEST romance book I have ever read. It is also one of my new favorite books. It gives “This Is Me Trying” combined with the most tender spice. I swear, all of you need to read this book. I have wanted to reread it every single day since I finished it, and I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy in April.
April 30, 2024
Everything about this book and author feels like an industry plant to me. Beach Read you are in danger girl.
May 21, 2024
CW: suicide
I feel robbed. I read this for the promise of angst but it was nary to be found. In fact, the whole story took a real nosedive.
Admittedly, it started out rough for me. It’s written in 3rd person present, which I clocked from the first sentence. Never a good sign. I don’t know why that’s the tense that trips me up spectacularly. It’s the rare author who does it so well I barely notice.
I struggled with Helen’s mischaracterization of Grant. Projection is real. It’s not uncommon for people to misdirect blame or their emotions after a loved one’s suicide. If this had taken place soon after her sister died (by purposefully running in front of Grant’s car), Helen and her family blaming Grant could make sense. It wouldn’t excuse it—he’s completely innocent and in fact was traumatized by Michelle’s decision—but it would make sense. However, over a decade has passed and Helen has even been to therapy, regardless of how honest she was or wasn’t in those sessions. To have this much anger and blame toward Grant, to the point where she refers to him as her sister’s murderer, this many years later wasn’t a good sign. Her inability to tell her parents that Grant is one of the show writers represents firmly entrenched complex grief that needed professional intervention years ago. This kind of grief requires a lot of scaffolding and expertise to depict well on page. It’s a massive undertaking for a debut, much less someone without a therapeutic background. That’s well before accounting for the fact that this is a romance and we need to see a believable path for Helen’s misdirected anger toward Grant turn into love. And frankly, Kuang wasn’t up to the task. The character choices never added up for me.
This skips so many steps with plot and characterization. Despite Helen barely talking to Grant at work, when they return to their hometown for the holidays, Helen was so hot and cold, it gave me whiplash. I could not understand where her change of opinion came from, nor could I see what Grant saw in her. If he’s attracted to people who treat him terribly, I’d encourage him to turn his romantic interests elsewhere and increase his sessions with his therapist.
At this point in the story, this was hovering around 3 stars for me. It was extremely readable. No matter how frustrated I was with the characters and the plot, the pages turned quickly and I wanted to know what would happen next. I hoped Kuang would turn things around but that unfortunately never happened.
Instead, it went the predictable route in treating Helen’s lie of omission with her parents and her insistence on keeping things casual with Grant despite the real feelings between them. Helen has actually been lying to her parents for years about everything from Michelle’s drug use to how her life is actually going. Her mother is particularly toxic but the book doesn’t do enough to address it. Half the time, I wasn’t sure if the author recognized how toxic the family dynamics were. If she did, then we needed more of an explanation about why Helen maintained a relationship with them despite everything.
Then there’s how everything goes down with Grant. For much of the book, Helen didn’t think she’s good enough for him—and I agree.
Lastly, I have major reservations with the depiction of Michelle’s suicide and the way Helen and her family contributed to the stigma. We’re briefly told she was using drugs but it’s not clear how or if her substance abuse connected to her mental health. Michelle’s death functions only to rationalize Helen’s irrationality. It’s brought out on a whim, often for reasons that felt emotionally manipulative to me, and forgotten about when convenient to the plot. Michelle deserved better. If suicide is a sensitive issue, I would exercise extreme caution in reading this one. It did not land well for me at all.
Characters: Helen is a 31 year old Chinese American author. Grant is a 31 year old white screenwriter. This is set in LA and Dunollie, NJ.
Content notes: past death by suicide of FMC’s 16 year old sister (she purposefully ran in front of MMC’s SUV; toxicology revealed heroin), suicide stigma (not countered), panic attacks, anxiety, car accident (truck blows a red light and hits FMC’s car; broken bones), invasion of privacy (FMC’s mom snoops on her iPad), past death of MMC’s uncle (heart attack), past parental divorce (MMC), earthquake, parental pressure for a relationship and grandkids, on page sex, orgasm control, workplace sex, masturbation, alcohol, inebriation, marijuana, p-in-v sex is the only real sex, gendered pejoratives, gender essentialist language, ableist language
*Buddy read with Vicky!
I feel robbed. I read this for the promise of angst but it was nary to be found. In fact, the whole story took a real nosedive.
Admittedly, it started out rough for me. It’s written in 3rd person present, which I clocked from the first sentence. Never a good sign. I don’t know why that’s the tense that trips me up spectacularly. It’s the rare author who does it so well I barely notice.
I struggled with Helen’s mischaracterization of Grant. Projection is real. It’s not uncommon for people to misdirect blame or their emotions after a loved one’s suicide. If this had taken place soon after her sister died (by purposefully running in front of Grant’s car), Helen and her family blaming Grant could make sense. It wouldn’t excuse it—he’s completely innocent and in fact was traumatized by Michelle’s decision—but it would make sense. However, over a decade has passed and Helen has even been to therapy, regardless of how honest she was or wasn’t in those sessions. To have this much anger and blame toward Grant, to the point where she refers to him as her sister’s murderer, this many years later wasn’t a good sign. Her inability to tell her parents that Grant is one of the show writers represents firmly entrenched complex grief that needed professional intervention years ago. This kind of grief requires a lot of scaffolding and expertise to depict well on page. It’s a massive undertaking for a debut, much less someone without a therapeutic background. That’s well before accounting for the fact that this is a romance and we need to see a believable path for Helen’s misdirected anger toward Grant turn into love. And frankly, Kuang wasn’t up to the task. The character choices never added up for me.
This skips so many steps with plot and characterization. Despite Helen barely talking to Grant at work, when they return to their hometown for the holidays, Helen was so hot and cold, it gave me whiplash. I could not understand where her change of opinion came from, nor could I see what Grant saw in her. If he’s attracted to people who treat him terribly, I’d encourage him to turn his romantic interests elsewhere and increase his sessions with his therapist.
At this point in the story, this was hovering around 3 stars for me. It was extremely readable. No matter how frustrated I was with the characters and the plot, the pages turned quickly and I wanted to know what would happen next. I hoped Kuang would turn things around but that unfortunately never happened.
Instead, it went the predictable route in treating Helen’s lie of omission with her parents and her insistence on keeping things casual with Grant despite the real feelings between them. Helen has actually been lying to her parents for years about everything from Michelle’s drug use to how her life is actually going. Her mother is particularly toxic but the book doesn’t do enough to address it. Half the time, I wasn’t sure if the author recognized how toxic the family dynamics were. If she did, then we needed more of an explanation about why Helen maintained a relationship with them despite everything.
Then there’s how everything goes down with Grant. For much of the book, Helen didn’t think she’s good enough for him—and I agree.
Lastly, I have major reservations with the depiction of Michelle’s suicide and the way Helen and her family contributed to the stigma. We’re briefly told she was using drugs but it’s not clear how or if her substance abuse connected to her mental health. Michelle’s death functions only to rationalize Helen’s irrationality. It’s brought out on a whim, often for reasons that felt emotionally manipulative to me, and forgotten about when convenient to the plot. Michelle deserved better. If suicide is a sensitive issue, I would exercise extreme caution in reading this one. It did not land well for me at all.
Characters: Helen is a 31 year old Chinese American author. Grant is a 31 year old white screenwriter. This is set in LA and Dunollie, NJ.
Content notes: past death by suicide of FMC’s 16 year old sister (she purposefully ran in front of MMC’s SUV; toxicology revealed heroin), suicide stigma (not countered), panic attacks, anxiety, car accident (truck blows a red light and hits FMC’s car; broken bones), invasion of privacy (FMC’s mom snoops on her iPad), past death of MMC’s uncle (heart attack), past parental divorce (MMC), earthquake, parental pressure for a relationship and grandkids, on page sex, orgasm control, workplace sex, masturbation, alcohol, inebriation, marijuana, p-in-v sex is the only real sex, gendered pejoratives, gender essentialist language, ableist language
*Buddy read with Vicky!
April 10, 2024
thirty days of romance novels: day nine / thirty
first of all (and to be fair), i held this book to a supremely high standard before it was even published, what with emily henry being dropped into nearly every mention of this book. to be so extremely clear, this book is not a comp for any emily henry book. it lacks all the atmosphere, warmth, esoteric wittiness, and genre-defying litfic tones that make emily henry an auto-buy author for me.
with that out of the way, there was a whole lot that didn't work for me in this novel. on the most surface level, i found the prose irritating. the lyrical, metaphorical tidbits felt pulled directly out of a CRWR101 crit. additionally, this book is written in dual third-person limited, but approximately 20% of every page was dedicated to italicized inner monologue. at that point, just write dual first person? obviously you want to be inside the characters' heads??
aside from that, the characters' trajectory made almost no sense to me. in their first meeting since high school, helen sees grant and calls him her sister's murderer. full stop. they have absolutely no substantive conversations about the one event that unites them before they have sex. and they have a lot of sex. so much on-page sex that it started to feel like a waste of page space considering the characters hadn't even begun to unpack the enormous elephant in every room — the hanging ghost of helen's dead sister and all the trauma wrapped up in her passing. there was so little romance to me. it felt like 300 pages of two people having sex and talking about writing, followed by 70 pages of helen raking her nails over her relationship with her parents and then a wedding???
this is all without even mentioning the handling of the hefty topic of suicide, which at times felt ludicrously careless. grief is complex and painful and angry and real. and i love portrayals of grieving women who are just as complex and angry and real. but if this book had found me at a different point in my life, it might have been genuinely dangerous for me. there are agreed-upon standards for depicting suicide in a way that honors the storytelling but prevents unnecessary harm, and this didn't even respect the basics. the longer i think about it, the angrier it makes me.
i'm obviously in the minority on this one, but i won't be picking this up again.
first of all (and to be fair), i held this book to a supremely high standard before it was even published, what with emily henry being dropped into nearly every mention of this book. to be so extremely clear, this book is not a comp for any emily henry book. it lacks all the atmosphere, warmth, esoteric wittiness, and genre-defying litfic tones that make emily henry an auto-buy author for me.
with that out of the way, there was a whole lot that didn't work for me in this novel. on the most surface level, i found the prose irritating. the lyrical, metaphorical tidbits felt pulled directly out of a CRWR101 crit. additionally, this book is written in dual third-person limited, but approximately 20% of every page was dedicated to italicized inner monologue. at that point, just write dual first person? obviously you want to be inside the characters' heads??
aside from that, the characters' trajectory made almost no sense to me. in their first meeting since high school, helen sees grant and calls him her sister's murderer. full stop. they have absolutely no substantive conversations about the one event that unites them before they have sex. and they have a lot of sex. so much on-page sex that it started to feel like a waste of page space considering the characters hadn't even begun to unpack the enormous elephant in every room — the hanging ghost of helen's dead sister and all the trauma wrapped up in her passing. there was so little romance to me. it felt like 300 pages of two people having sex and talking about writing, followed by 70 pages of helen raking her nails over her relationship with her parents and then a wedding???
this is all without even mentioning the handling of the hefty topic of suicide, which at times felt ludicrously careless. grief is complex and painful and angry and real. and i love portrayals of grieving women who are just as complex and angry and real. but if this book had found me at a different point in my life, it might have been genuinely dangerous for me. there are agreed-upon standards for depicting suicide in a way that honors the storytelling but prevents unnecessary harm, and this didn't even respect the basics. the longer i think about it, the angrier it makes me.
i'm obviously in the minority on this one, but i won't be picking this up again.
May 8, 2024
Ooooof. This is a hard one. It had all sorts of swooney Ryan Goslingy types of dialogue to make a romantic heart go pitter-pat and while I knooooooooooooooooow romance books aren’t steeped in reality, the plotline was sort of problematic for me.
I set aside the fact that most workplaces have anti-fraternization rules and simply went along with that trope for the sake of . . .
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But this idea that the boy your entire family has blamed for your sister’s death for well over a decade somehow coinky-dinkily becomes not only your co-worker in a REAL niche profession of screenwriting, that also happens to be 100% across the country from where you grew up and then also can somehow become your love interest was a lot for my logical non-romantic brain. Also, I’m in a current phase where I prefer fade-to-black smexuals so all the dirty talk did absolutely nothing for either me or my lady garden.
YMMV – 3 Stars.
I set aside the fact that most workplaces have anti-fraternization rules and simply went along with that trope for the sake of . . .
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But this idea that the boy your entire family has blamed for your sister’s death for well over a decade somehow coinky-dinkily becomes not only your co-worker in a REAL niche profession of screenwriting, that also happens to be 100% across the country from where you grew up and then also can somehow become your love interest was a lot for my logical non-romantic brain. Also, I’m in a current phase where I prefer fade-to-black smexuals so all the dirty talk did absolutely nothing for either me or my lady garden.
YMMV – 3 Stars.
April 10, 2024
This is incredibly random but you know the line in Captain America : Civil War where Wanda exclaims to Clint, "Oh my god, what are you doing here?" and he says "Disappointing my kids"? Well. This is me disappointing my kids (friends).
Sadly, I knew by about 15% into this that I was not going to be rating this five stars. The only question would be how far would this fall along the way to the end. And knowing me, it could've been worse. But I just didn't love this, I never even felt a glimmer of love for this, and there's a very specific reason why. Or three.
Often times, as readers, even though we know the people we're reading about are characters, they nonetheless feel like people. People we love or hate, whatever the case might be, but they feel like a someone. Unfortunately, the two leads in HOW TO END A LOVE STORY did not have this. They very much felt like characters, caricatures even, because they honestly felt barely developed. Helen maybe had a little more going on than Grant -- who felt like Male Love Interest #72847852 -- but even she just felt mostly.. remote. Angry and uncomfortable. And yes, there are reasons, but in that case give me depth and resonance to feel the emotion fuelling those reasons. But I didn't. Overall, everyone was made up of one or two attributes that we see played out to death (sorry).
And then there was the romance (and how we skipped sO mAnY steps into getting to a place where this should've been something they considered; like, this needed a much slower burn) (and also with the game thing I never understood and just felt contrived). And the sex scenes. It wasn't it for me. Either one. But especially not the latter. I have absolutely come to hate (previously, this was just an eyeroll cringe combo that lead me to skimming but we've graduated now) the pivot characters in romances make when they are feeling zesty and suddenly transform into sex workers on a porno set. I think there was maybe one, of the many, of these intimate scenes that did feel true to the characters, such as they were, and I would've much rather had just the one moment than all the others because at least it was close to feeling honest.
Back to emotions, though, I fully expected this book to wreck me based on some of the subject matter and events that play out but I, a self-professed marshmallow, felt.. nothing. Not until a certain letter was written; which didn't make me emotional but I can acknowledge was really beautiful, really something -- the first bit of something from the entire book. And it was at, like, 96% or something. Rough.
I just don't think the narrative meshed with the motions the author put her characters through because instead it feels like she’s trying to follow expected patterns that don’t quite line up with the shape of her story. Or, more fitting maybe, it's like the characters are following a different and less interesting script and it just doesn’t work (for me).
Maybe this would make a good movie or limited series run, maybe it's better as a screenplay (where the author's experience lies), but as a book, no matter who's head I was in, whether it was dealing with complex familial dynamics, panic attacks, grief and rage and bitterness from loss with no closure, I just felt.. nothing.
But I'm definitely in the smallest of minorities about this so, hey, don't even listen to me. What do I know.
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
Sadly, I knew by about 15% into this that I was not going to be rating this five stars. The only question would be how far would this fall along the way to the end. And knowing me, it could've been worse. But I just didn't love this, I never even felt a glimmer of love for this, and there's a very specific reason why. Or three.
Often times, as readers, even though we know the people we're reading about are characters, they nonetheless feel like people. People we love or hate, whatever the case might be, but they feel like a someone. Unfortunately, the two leads in HOW TO END A LOVE STORY did not have this. They very much felt like characters, caricatures even, because they honestly felt barely developed. Helen maybe had a little more going on than Grant -- who felt like Male Love Interest #72847852 -- but even she just felt mostly.. remote. Angry and uncomfortable. And yes, there are reasons, but in that case give me depth and resonance to feel the emotion fuelling those reasons. But I didn't. Overall, everyone was made up of one or two attributes that we see played out to death (sorry).
And then there was the romance (and how we skipped sO mAnY steps into getting to a place where this should've been something they considered; like, this needed a much slower burn) (and also with the game thing I never understood and just felt contrived). And the sex scenes. It wasn't it for me. Either one. But especially not the latter. I have absolutely come to hate (previously, this was just an eyeroll cringe combo that lead me to skimming but we've graduated now) the pivot characters in romances make when they are feeling zesty and suddenly transform into sex workers on a porno set. I think there was maybe one, of the many, of these intimate scenes that did feel true to the characters, such as they were, and I would've much rather had just the one moment than all the others because at least it was close to feeling honest.
Back to emotions, though, I fully expected this book to wreck me based on some of the subject matter and events that play out but I, a self-professed marshmallow, felt.. nothing. Not until a certain letter was written; which didn't make me emotional but I can acknowledge was really beautiful, really something -- the first bit of something from the entire book. And it was at, like, 96% or something. Rough.
I just don't think the narrative meshed with the motions the author put her characters through because instead it feels like she’s trying to follow expected patterns that don’t quite line up with the shape of her story. Or, more fitting maybe, it's like the characters are following a different and less interesting script and it just doesn’t work (for me).
Maybe this would make a good movie or limited series run, maybe it's better as a screenplay (where the author's experience lies), but as a book, no matter who's head I was in, whether it was dealing with complex familial dynamics, panic attacks, grief and rage and bitterness from loss with no closure, I just felt.. nothing.
But I'm definitely in the smallest of minorities about this so, hey, don't even listen to me. What do I know.
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
March 1, 2024
No because I did not expect a book with a cover this cute to make me cry that much?! Oh my god did this book ever make my heart ache!!!
Such a gut wrenching and tragic love story between two hot and tortured individuals. Heavy on the trigger warnings for this one!! But I am unwell and as of right now this feels like a 4.5⭐️ read but honestly even 5⭐️!!!!
You have Helen + Grant whose pasts are connected and intertwined in such a heartbreaking way. Later in life they are thrust into each others stratospheres once more when Grant is set to help write for Helen’s book to screen adaption. The tension and the angst was so unreal, then you have the romance aspect that I could cry over thinking about right freaking now! You get dual pov and while emotionally it left me wrecked, it was so well done and I could have lived in their thoughts for a lifetime, that’s how amazing it was written.
Yulin the amazing screenwriter for people we meet on vacation and directing the upcoming beach read, you know the em hen girls absolutely need to add this to their TBR! Yulin’s screenwriting skills definitely came through in this and I really loved it, it gave the story a lens to it that honestly made me feel like I was watching a devastatingly beautiful love story live right in front of me.
Recommend without a DOUBT!!!
Such a gut wrenching and tragic love story between two hot and tortured individuals. Heavy on the trigger warnings for this one!! But I am unwell and as of right now this feels like a 4.5⭐️ read but honestly even 5⭐️!!!!
You have Helen + Grant whose pasts are connected and intertwined in such a heartbreaking way. Later in life they are thrust into each others stratospheres once more when Grant is set to help write for Helen’s book to screen adaption. The tension and the angst was so unreal, then you have the romance aspect that I could cry over thinking about right freaking now! You get dual pov and while emotionally it left me wrecked, it was so well done and I could have lived in their thoughts for a lifetime, that’s how amazing it was written.
Yulin the amazing screenwriter for people we meet on vacation and directing the upcoming beach read, you know the em hen girls absolutely need to add this to their TBR! Yulin’s screenwriting skills definitely came through in this and I really loved it, it gave the story a lens to it that honestly made me feel like I was watching a devastatingly beautiful love story live right in front of me.
Recommend without a DOUBT!!!
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