HELEN ZHANG THE WOMAN THAT YOU ARE!!!!

At heart, I'm an angst girlie. Generational trauma and complicated families are my thing. So this book has everything I could have ever want. IMMEDIATELY PUTTING THIS INTO A 2024 FAVE!!!

1) small town childhood friends!!!
are they friends if you moved in different social circles tho? hehehe. all those little moments where they go back to their hometown and explore the "what could have beens" (hey so what if we knew each other better back then, would you have looked at me differently? would you have been into me?). not to mention their old friends are like "wait hang on, you're cool now? you both hang out together or?" this is my jam. yes yes yes. so much good confusing/sexual tension build up. the FMC made me feel so seen? with her introverted personality and the feelings of having to work that much harder to stand out in the room, so you try to make yourself a commodity because you think just being you isn't good enough? HELLO. YULIN KUANG HOW DARE YOU!!! (lovingly)

2) secret relationship
right off the bat, you're told that Grant is involved in an accident that obviously devastates and links him to Helen forever. so there's a lot of anger and complicated issues surrounding this single moment in their teenage life. so when they start to catch feels for one another? woof woof.

more context: the boy used to be the popular golden retriever jock!!! and she's the high-achieving prickly student who runs the school's paper!!! like just think of him as a more well-adjusted Normal People's Connell Waldron. and when they're adults now & start feeling all the things with the forced proximity of working on the same job (he's a screenwriter adapting her book) it's just like powder keg perfection. HE CAN'T STOP LOOKING AT HER FROM ACROSS THE WRITERS ROOM. EVEN THOUGH EVERYONE CAN SEE HIM. THE MAN IS PINING LIKE A FOREST.

3) grief/family trauma/generational trauma/sibling angst
done really well there. i appreciated how this looks through the lens of a traditional/conservative Asian family. for some people they might read this and go, "oh they are horrible. just cut them out, you're an adult now." but culturally it's so different and it doesn't work that way for some family dynamics. that's not how they've been raised, you know? there's a lot of feelings of resentment and gratitude (i owe them because they did this and sacrificed so and so to get me a better life) that will always be there. there's always a barrier of how much you can have "open conversations" with parents of that mindset. i think yulin did a really good job at weaving that tricky web of wanting to assimilate into an environment that is largely western/english-speaking but also wanting to hold on to your roots and identity, and paying respect to your culture. i also appreciated how it's not neatly wrapped up in a bow by the end either, you can tell it's going to take a lot of work for decades upon decades of expectations to evolve into something different. i cried when Helen wrote the letters (and when you get there, if you have a soft tender heart like me, you'll understand.)

this book is steamy btw and i was eating it all up!!! love the sexual tension and all the push and pull between them (maybe a bit frustrating but where is the fun if it's all easy hey???) this man was so into her, so pathetically drawn to her. i'm sorry but more MMCs and real life men need to follow this example lmao.

ok but knowing yulin is handling the film/show adaptations of beach read and people we meet on vacation by em hen??? I AM SO FOR IT. BECAUSE YULIN IS A GEM!!!! there's so much heart and wit in her writing and i cannot wait to get my hands on the physical copy when this debut releases + whatever next story she'll come up with!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK ❤️

Thank you so much to Yulin Kuang, the publisher Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!

I loved this rom-com, perfectly blended comedy and romance with deeper themes. This book has made me want to the read the Emily Henry books Kuang is adapting

I really enjoyed Helen and Grant’s story. The plot’s interesting enough, and their relationship is actually so cute. I heard someone say it’s giving insta-love, but it didn’t feel like it to me at all. It’s got found family feels and a whole lot of dealing with family trauma, both past and present. I thought it was well written, funny, and just an overall light-hearted yet deep read.

This book is an emotional read, yet it manages to be heartwarming and hot.
I can relate on a lot of aspects as an asian firstborn (though not an immigrant's).

As a romance book, it won't be as light and may not make some readers comfortable as the story digs deep into mental health issue & cultural discussion. But for me and I think other lot of readers, this is a solid 5 stars (and beyond).

Ticks all the boxes for my perfect reading:
✅️ witty banter
✅️ slow-fast romance (idk how to say it haha the romance is just the right amount and intensity for me)
✅️ discussion about culture (I'm all for it)
✅️ gender equality
✅️ there's a project involved
✅️ mental health topic manifested in the "real life" inside the story
✅️ good logic and pretty believable, no other-wordly reason for the problems
✅️ good pace
✅️ compelling writing style. Just the right amount of inner voices and dialogues
✅️ leave a longing feeling and the urge to discuss the book after I finish reading 🫶

I was super invested not only to the characters but also the story, it makes me frustated at some point before I realize this is just a fiction 😂
And then I got very impatient, like, "Come on, finish it!" but when it really ends I was like "WHATTT I WANT MORE" 🥲

#HowtoEndaLoveStory #NetGalley

How to End a Love Story is a complex, unique and fun story that gripped me immediately. Although this is a slower pace that I usually enjoy I still really loved reading this and didn't want to put it down. Overall I really recommend, especially to any fans of Emily Henry!

final rating: ★★★★★

thanks to netgalley and the publisher Hodder & Stoughton for the e-arc!

uhh wow i don't even know how to go about talking about this book. i need a moment. i requested this book solely because of the author's bio saying she's a screenwriter for Emily Henry's adaptations, and this was a neat title. everything, especially the characters, the plotline and setting and both the subtle and not-so-subtle representation of asian families hooked me.

(spoilers ahead)

Helen Zhang is basically me if i'm in my 30s living my ideal career. having a successful young adult (what looks to be) academia book series and a tv adaptation for it. exactly what i wanted to do before i singlehandedly possibly walked our of the industry this week (irrelevant but still). both of us come from a chinese family where love can be suffocating, not because one is being abused or anything, but simply because sometimes parents worry too much, need to know too much and will somehow get that information, and wish the best for you without realising it might not be. this STILL being portrayed in a sympathetic and not villianous light but with all the subtle nuances that comes with it, our inability to even bend the rules but only because we are voluntarily doing it while not wholeheartedly wanting to, is an absolute stroke of brilliance by Yulin Kuang. i saw a lot of broad strokes of myself in this character and i liked it for once. someone who doesn't believe in a happily ever after for herself and seizing one anyway.

surprisingly, the romance in this one was not the big highlight for me. sure it was angsty, messy and everything i like in contemporary romance with the slowburn past trauma to friends with benefits to lovers. but the whole thing about a deadline, while in character, felt a little convoluted especially if they broke it off before then. it might have been better if they broke it off through a bigger argument or something on that day. still, the build up to the situationship (?) of Helen being a d!ck (another trait i share with her) slowly having her defences torn down by Grant was nice, not totally ripping each other's clothes off at the beginning. but i felt the post break up yearning was what convinced me. both of them trying to move on, Helen realising she messed up big time and Grant not really making progress. it reminded me a bit of how the second half of Sad Girls by Lang Leav made me feel (it was my early teen era) in all the best ways.

also, grief representation! i have not experienced grief in the form of a passed loved one, but this book made me believe in what i thought was a shallowly written sister relationship and gave it depth, layers. neither Michelle nor Helen were always perfectly loving sisters, and Michelle kept secrets from her, but at the end of the day, Helen can only hope they both knew their love is always there. (her letters to Michelle at the end broke me. i love how, in a way, Michelle did play a part in bringing Helen her happy love story with Grant, even if theirs ended in tragedy)

How to End a Love Story is a love letter to love letters, one i won't hesitate to pick up again.

I loved this love story and can’t wait to read more by Yulin Kuang! The characters are brilliant and complex, and the storyline gripped me, it was a slower pace than I expected but it really worked.

How to End a Love Story is a contemporary romance from the highly acclaimed and accomplished Yulin Kuang and as such, sets the bar very high for the quality of work and my goodness, it did not disappoint

Helen Zhang is a bestselling author and now a screenwriter, but there was an event 13 years prior that still haunts her.

A reunion 13 years in the making is in the offing. Grant Shepherd has not seen Helen Zhang since that event but now he has accepted a screenwriting post on her new programme and he is wondering if this really was the right choice

The attraction is still there, but the past cannot be tucked away and forgotten, especially when parents and panic attacks are still a key issue. Will they be able to reconcile their past and with each other? Or will the past haunt them forever and foil their project

Stunning and electrifying. Beautifully written and utterly compelling. The primary storyline is elegantly juxtaposed with the origin stories and the dynamics between individuals and their diferent relationships. A fantastic novel and highly recommended

Thank you very much to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton, Hodder Paperbacks and the author Yulin Kuang for this outstanding ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

4.5

This is a beautiful romance with witty banter, which somehow survives in a rather dark and sad backstory.

I really enjoyed the environment of a writers room. It was both interesting and an excellent catalyst for building the relationship and adding a seek of element..

I see why people compare her writing to Emily Henry. It is very witty and enchanting.

This is very spicy at times, and I enjoyed it a lot actually!!

This book was not for me. I ended up DNF-ing this like 20% in. The plot sounded so good but the execution fell flat for me and I couldn't bring myself to root for either of the main characters. Also, the arc was not formatted properly and that made issues worse. I just didn't want to spend so much time trying to figure out what words were cause so many alphabets were missing for a book that I didn't even like much.

How to End A Love Story had my hooked from the very first chapter! Not only is this a romance, but it's also a story of healing, grief, and follows two characters who are connected through a tragedy. I really enjoyed this one, because I felt like there was much more going on than just a typical romance novel - this definitely pulls on the heart strings!!

I would highly recommend this one if you're looking for an angsty, raw, tension filled romance!! I loved how flawed the characters were, and the growth they both go through during the story - they just felt so real.

Definitely a must read!

(4,5 ⭐️) This book somehow it’s the perfect mix between Emily Henry and Sally Rooney with Phoebe Bridgers song vibes. Not sure how that’s even possible but it’s definitely how it feels and I’ve loved it for it 🖤

HOW TO END A LOVE STORY has complex characters, deals with grief and loss, and portrays mental health issues with honesty and care (sometimes being even hurtful to read) but it’s also funny and heartwarming and it’s written in a very beautiful way. Yulin Kuang’s voice is very unique and while straightforward, also has a very lyrical quality to it. I loved both Helen and Grant and their messy yet beautiful relationship and they’re now one of my favorite writers couples.

so if you love…

✨ books about writers
✨ Hollywood settings
✨ broken and flawed characters
✨ good banter
✨ pining and yearning
✨ forced proximity and workplace romance
✨ this is me trying and mirrorball characters
✨ complicated and messy relationships

mark your calendar for 9 April because HOW TO END A LOVE STORY is the perfect book for you 🫶

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC.

5 stars ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the e-arc of this book. I loved it so much! Helen and Grant had amazing chemistry and the romance in this was written so lovely!

It took me a while to get into this one, it then hit a sweet spot, and then it kind of lost me. Ultimately it was too angsty and tortured for me, and the main characters and their relationship felt kind of generic – I didn't really feel there was anything special about them as people to keep me invested. I did really like the LA setting and the insight into writing a TV series though – both felt very authentic!

A very big thank you to the amazing Hodder and Stoughton for letting me review this wonderful read .

OH MY GOSH !!! my emotions are everywhere this book gave me everything i love in a romance , i also think this is a relatable story ..

I have not read anything Yulin before i will say i was really happy with this outcome .
i can also say i did not see what happened in the story coming at all she knew how to pull the carpet from under my feet for sure it was like my heart was tron apart then put back together neatly .

i loved everything about this story The plot was wonderful, the characters very relatable ,and the writing was perfect .

this story is going to be hard to forget what a journey I loved every moment of it .

i'm giving this book a heart pulling 5 stars

I found the book's premise very raw and unique. I was hooked from the beginning and could not put it down, and I particularly enjoyed exploration of themes of family and healing alongside romance. Beautifully moving, heartbreaking and healing in equal measure - one to add to your reading list this spring.

Many thanks to the publisher, author and Netgalley for proving an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

It was very clear reading this that the author is also a skilled screenwriter, Very easy to visualise the scenes which added to the enjoyment of reading this, some heavy subjects dealt with, the suicide of Helens sister of course and the resulting trauma for all connected. My heart truly ached for both Grant and Helen. Just an awful situation with long reaching consequences. The romance itself could perhaps have been developed more. The attraction was there (very steamy!) but I wanted a deeper connection, not just their shared trauma and lust. A really enjoyable read and I can’t wait to read her next book. Thanks Netgalley and the publisher.

I was extremely curious to read a book by a screenwriter set to adapt Emily Henry’s books. Not only because I’m a huge Henry fan, but also to gain some insight into any visible differences between screenwriting and prose. And in many ways this book reads more like a detailed script rather than a book - which isn’t a bad thing, it’s a 3rd person, fast paced story that keeps you thoroughly invested in the characters journey.

At its core it’s a rather emotional story as both Helen and Grant try to overcome the traumatic event that will forever bond them. I loved Helen as a character, she was resilient and pragmatic making it easy to both identify with and root for her. What I found a bit underwhelming was the romance between the main characters, which felt more based on physical attraction and shared trauma rather than any genuine connection between them. Still, it was an interesting read that makes me both hopeful and excited for future movie adaptations.

3.5⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for this ARC.

I picked this one on a complete whim. Did the classic and judged a book on its cover and you know what, it paid off. This book captures grief and love so beautifully that I felt like I was in the thick of it with the MCs.

We meet Grant and Helen who are bonded by a horrific incident involving Helen’s sister 13 years ago and how they are forced back together all these years later. We get to see a love story blossom between them that is so exquisitely written I couldn’t put my kindle down. This book completely captured my heart.

We also get to see them react and heal from the past trauma, more so in Helen’s case. The fact that she denies herself happiness to come to the realisation that she is allowed to be loved and to love in return.

I will be keeping an eye out for any work by this author in the future and can’t wait to see how they work on Emily Henry’s screenplay.

Well well! This is definitely a ‘marmite’ book, I actually loved it. Not quite the story you would expect from the cover and title, but nonetheless it’s worth reading for sure.
Unfortunately, my copy had a technical glitch, meaning that a few words at the beginning of each chapter were missing and also the letters fi and fl at the beginning of the word- had to concentrate more than usual!