It took a couple of days for this one to settle with me but I came out feeling really positively about it. An emotional love story, it follows Helen and Grant who have a tragic past together. Today they find themselves working in the same writer's room and gradually warming up to one another. The characterisation was great, I properly got to know these two.

I wasn't convinced about the backstory but thought it was handled pretty well. Some elements of the getting together felt a little rushed, there wasn't much tension here. But that's ok, it's not always needed. It was joyful to watch these two people be there for one another and help each other heal.

There was also plenty of wit and humour. It's not actually as heavy as it sounds! Overall a super enjoyable romance with depth.

The story unfolds as our two protagonists, tied by tragedy, unexpectedly reunite in a writers' room after 13 years. Compelling perspectives on shared trauma and authentically written characters you want to champion until the end.

Felt like a slow start - adjusting to what seemed like a screenplay, which was charming considering it's set within the backdrop of a TV writers' room workplace, making me want to see this developed for TV/film. I really enjoyed the relatable 'human' dialogue and was intrigued by the overall premise of the story. Glad I stuck around to the end for this delightful and healing romcom that promises an experience that is both entertaining and meaningful.

This book was also a great teaser to what can be expected for Yulin Kuang's film adaptation and direction for Emily Henry's Beach Read. I think fans of Emily Henry will be excited and pleasantly surprised by this pairing.

Thanks to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and the author for this ARC. Already pre-ordered a physical copy (:

2 stars
TW; sibling death through suicide, two car accidents (one talked about a lot, the other on page), long-term grief and trauma, hateful treatment of main character from the other, toxic relationship with parents, panic attacks, general mental health struggles, use of drugs (minor)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC to review. All thoughts are my own.

I dislike writing reviews that are too personal and purely negative, but this is one I cannot avoid writing because this book affected me in a way I wasn't expecting. If any of the trigger warnings above are things you feel uncomfortable with, please do not endure this book. I felt the obligation from applying for this arc via NetGalley to read it through despite becoming uncomfortable within the first portion of the book, and in hindsight, wish I had just DNF'd it instead of trying to find any positives to review about.

How to End a Love Story follows Helen and Grant. As teens, they went to the same high school but weren't in each other's circles, and after Grant plays a significant - albeit without choice - role in Helen's sister Michelle's suicide, Helen and her family treat him as the murderer, not the victim of Michelle's choices. Immediately, because this involved a car accident, in which I lost my beloved father in one thanks to the careless choice of another person, I felt uncomfortable. This continued to echo for me as Helen in the present time - now 13 years later - finds herself in Grant's company during the process of screenwriting her book series into a show. Helen is initially downright cruel and unwavering in her reaction to Grant, and whilst I tried to understand how the grief and loss of her sister was behind her actions, she isn't likeable at all. Grant, to his credit, does try to make amends, and the author chose to write him as someone who tries too hard to make others feel comfortable whilst he himself suffers.

Trying to remove my personal loss from the situation, I attempted to like the plot even though it felt very far-fetched from what the synopsis vaguely entailed, but I just couldn't get behind the romance. Helen goes from hating Grant's very presence to taking an edible and admitting he's not half bad whilst under the influence. They then become somewhat friendlier with each other, and at this point, I thought it might build slowly and healthily. Instead, it falls right into the romance, with too many sexual scenes with frequent sides of "this is so bad, I shouldn't be sleeping with the man who ruined my family" and this toxic minefield of playing with feelings and passion is built. I didn't feel like either character was truly in love despite it being shared on page, and quite often they were very dramatic towards one another. Helen's issues with her parents (there is a side story of Helen being the child of Chinese immigrants, and the level of struggle she has faced in a country with different traditions than those her family uphold) get interjected whenever things seem to be running smoothly for her and Grant, and of course, because he is the cause of Michelle's death in their eyes, the last thing they'll accept is their remaining daughter being with him. The whole plot around these two unlikely people falling for the other after the trauma both inflicted from various sources, as well as each other, just never became right or worked out for me. By the time the third act breakup happened, the accident that occurred afterwards, and then the subsequent getting back together, I was beyond exasperated with this story.

Writing style-wise: you can tell Kuang is a screenwriter. The story is told in present tense, yet it reads very pretentious in how the author expresses the emotions or thoughts of Helen especially. I found it frustrating that there were so many time jumps, the gaps were filled in poorly, and the overwritten structure of feelings made them feel unrealistic and robotic at times. I could see this level of drama working in a soap opera television show, where the shock factor is constantly used to engage viewers, but as a reader, I didn't relate to the style of writing choice at all. The romance felt weak and sex was overused to show intimacy between the couple.

Overall, I can't decide if this story was simply not good, or that from my personal experience with loss via a car accident, I was too sensitive to adapt to the way it was showcased. The author does put a content warning in at the start of the book but leaves out some elements that I would think are worthy of being listed. Equally, there is no content warning on the author's website if you want to check it out before purchasing, and none added to the listing on NetGalley, in which had there been one, I wouldn't have applied at all. This isn't entirely the author's fault, but down to the marketing of the book. I despise this vague way of presenting the story through a synopsis that doesn't truly give you a sense of what is to come.

Somehow sad, bruising and glorious at the same time. The book really flows us through the pain and loss that a death of a sister, loved one and daughter can bring, juxtaposed with the guilt and weight that crashing into someone can bring. As romance, filtered through cross words and sarcasm, takes hold, the impact this has on the wider family is explored - those not in the dream who remain bereft and hurt. This is a clever juggle of everyone’s emotions thundering along, all whilst a script needs writing.

I don't really know how to exactly rate this book because it was a up and down for me. At some points I thought it was a bit over dramatic and at others I was feeling deeply with the characters so it's really a in between read for me. It won't be my favorite but it's also not a bad book and I would recommend it if you like romance.

"How to End a Love Story" is a romance written by Yulin Kuang.

Helen Zhang is a bestselling author focused on her career. Famous for her series of young adult novels, she managed to get a coveted position in the writing room of their TV adaptation. On the surface, it's a golden moment for her! Too bad no one knows about the imposter syndrome she cleverly hides, or the writer's block that prevents her from writing anything else. Moving to Los Angeles for the task may be the fresh start she needs to get back on her feet. Or at least that's what she hopes, until she meets Grant Shepard. That same Grant Shepard originally from her hometown, who she has not seen in thirteen years, since the car accident that killed her sister. An accident in which he was driving the car that hit her. Helen has never forgiven him for what happened, even though her sister threw herself under the car, even though he could not avoid the impact. The idea of working alongside him is disconcerting, as well as painful. Grant, for his part, has done everything in his power to move on from the past, including building a life across the country. And although his panic attacks have never gone away, he is well liked around town as a screenwriter. Grant knows he shouldn't take the job on Helen's show, but it will open doors for developing his personal projects and he can't pass up the opportunity. And so they find themselves at the same table, in the same room, working on Helen's show, with Grant as second in command. The beginning is not the best, with Helen and Grant disagreeing on everything, but slowly, bit by bit, the two begin to grow closer and the sparks of attraction ignite.

This book was a roller coaster of emotions! At times light and funny, at others intense and touching, it made me laugh and cry repeatedly (when I didn't laugh and cry together)! It is a novel that speaks of grief, sorrow, and despair, showing the effects that the death of a loved person leaves on their family, friends, acquaintances and those around them. It is a story that speaks of suicide, of trying to understand, of the need to search for a why to this gesture. It is a story about remorse, recrimination and guilt. It is a story of two broken people who try to make their way through a sea of pain without drowning. But at the same time it is also a hilarious story, made up of joking and funny moments, that speaks of hope, forgiveness and self-acceptance. I was impressed by the author's ability to move from decidedly funny situations to truly sad ones, maintaining an overall lightness, a bubbly rhythm, that does not weigh down the text. And then do we want to talk about the spicy?! Seriously, I didn't expect that! Or rather, yes, I was expecting something, but not some steamy swooning scenes! My hormones did somersaults geed whiz!

I admit that the element I liked least, for my personal taste, was the narrative choice. In fact, the book is written in the third person, and I am not a fan of romance written in the third person. I do not know why, but only in romance, the use of the third person causes me a sort of detached feeling, making it difficult for me to bond with the story and the characters. However, in the case of "How to End a Love Story," I found everything else so interesting that I was able to overcome, at least in part, my difficulties and get involved in the events.

Helen and Grant, protagonists with their respective third person povs, won me over. They are two troubled, complex and fragile people who hide their pain behind raised walls or easy smiles. They both feel themselves inadequate and worthless, unworthy of receiving any comfort or support. And so they prefer to be alone, persuading themselves that it is better that way. Little by little this view, over the course of the book, changes and they begin to open up to each other and to others, following a truly wonderful healing path. The development of their relationship is fantastic, with funny and emotional interactions, full of moments when I giggled and others when I ached and sobbed. Helen and Grant have a complicated situation, with Helen initially loathe Grant and then struggling to let go, to totally open up to him. In addition, I loved their sizzling chemistry and the tasty, well-described, and swoon-worthy spicy!

All in all, it is a fun and intense romance that I deeply adored!

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.