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How to End a Love Story
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.
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.
382 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 9, 2024
About the author
Yulin Kuang
1 book907 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 screenwriter of Emily Henry’s People We Meet On Vacation, as well as the writer/director of the forthcoming Beach Read feature film for 20th Century Studios. She lives in Pasadena with her husband Zack and their orange cat, Eloise.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,122 reviews
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…
June 11, 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 17, 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 THEE 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 THEE one for you.
__
Check out my YouTube
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 😍
June 5, 2024
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)?
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.
except forget about their respective personal issues because we don't have time to get to those.
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 her.
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)?
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.
except forget about their respective personal issues because we don't have time to get to those.
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 her.
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 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
June 30, 2024
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 actions upon actions 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 actions upon actions 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 10, 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!
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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
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!
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.
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 2, 2024
Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
Happy Release Day!
"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.
Happy Release Day!
"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.
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!!!
May 27, 2024
2024 API Month
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.
📚 Buddy read with Steph
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Avon
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.
📚 Buddy read with Steph
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Avon
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!
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.
June 6, 2024
My favorite read of 2024 so far! WOW! I absolutely loved this book. It's as heartbreaking as it is hilarious. The writing is fantastic, from the character building to the expertly written slow burn and chemistry. And the spice was spicin', y'all!
I love a good angsty story, and this one was packed with it. I'll never forget the yearbook scene (iykyk) and I just about combusted into flames by the time these two finally gave in. Add in the tragic story of their past and the very glaring reasons why they couldn't be together, it left a pit in my stomach as I held onto hope and fell hard and fast with them.
I really appreciated the raw vulnerability of our main characters, how they both had a little bit of "fucked up" in them and they knew it. Those things they still needed to deal with kept them from being 100% healthy and adjusted together and I totally understood that. It was a great new adult book.
I also LOVED that the characters are my age, they graduated the same year I did, and all their high school memories lined up with mine. That brought a nostalgic feel to it that I adored!
Now, I'm going to go play "In Your Atmosphere" by John Mayer on repeat because I'm convinced it's their song. I'm not quite ready to leave them yet. Five stars. I highly recommend this one to angst lovers!
I love a good angsty story, and this one was packed with it. I'll never forget the yearbook scene (iykyk) and I just about combusted into flames by the time these two finally gave in. Add in the tragic story of their past and the very glaring reasons why they couldn't be together, it left a pit in my stomach as I held onto hope and fell hard and fast with them.
I really appreciated the raw vulnerability of our main characters, how they both had a little bit of "fucked up" in them and they knew it. Those things they still needed to deal with kept them from being 100% healthy and adjusted together and I totally understood that. It was a great new adult book.
I also LOVED that the characters are my age, they graduated the same year I did, and all their high school memories lined up with mine. That brought a nostalgic feel to it that I adored!
Now, I'm going to go play "In Your Atmosphere" by John Mayer on repeat because I'm convinced it's their song. I'm not quite ready to leave them yet. Five stars. I highly recommend this one to angst lovers!
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.
March 1, 2024
In my opinion, this is not a romantic book. This is two characters trauma bonding and calling it love.
May 17, 2024
3.5 stars, rounded down… A rather mixed review. What worked for me here was the story of sibling loss & being broken afterward, as I can personally relate to that. I also always like an L.A. setting, which felt authentic. And I did like both of the two rather conflicted MC’s and their overall romance arc & a good HEA, plus I’m counting this one as my AAPI month read. What didn’t work was way, way too much focus on the ��craft of screen-writing” itself, which I did not find very interesting at all (“the room”). And the spice level way way off the charts - 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️!!! (Author herself advised her folks to skip quite a few chapters & I followed that advice). TW re: suicide of a sibling. Not worth the hype overall, I think.
April 15, 2024
Blessings to Libro.fm without whom I never would have had this book on my radar, which is wild because I've since learned that this is a BOTM selection and the publisher won't let you forget that Yulin Kuang is attached to a couple different adaptations of Emily Henry's work.
To have me tell it, Kuang is lapping Ms. Henry in the adult romance game, but let's get into this book.
I'll be honest, I only kind of skimmed the description before selecting this from Libro. If you've been following me for any amount of time I hope it's obvious my love for stories set in Hollywood or are in any way tangentially related to Hollywood. Here we are following Helen, a YA author who is currently living the dream of riding their best selling series into a TV adaptation. She arrives in LA ready to take on the challenge of being a screenwriter for the first time, collaborating with other screenwriters on the show, seeing the characters she imagined coming to life in a new medium.
The only thing in her way is Grant, a man from her past with some pretty thorny connections to her family.
To this books credit the audiobook did come with a content warning about grief, which was important given the first chapter is thirteen years prior to the start of the book at Helen's sister's funeral... Thirteen years before the start of the story Helen's sister commited suicide [ I'm going to be honest the exact specifics have gotten fuzzy but I'm pretty sure it had something to do with her stepping out into oncoming traffic ] because Grant was the driver of the car that struck Helen's sister.
To be honest I wasn't sure how this book was going to make this a romance. After the book opened at the funeral I wasn't even sure that I had actually picked up a romance an that maybe I was playing into some subconscious sexism... The fact that Kuang was able to start there and end with a HFN speaks to the strength of the writing in my opinion.
I think that what was so smart about what Kuang was able to do here was use the setting of the writers room and the side characters working out character beats; particularly a believable way to adapt one of the romances from the books to the show as the template for setting up Helen and Grant. When I clocked that Kuang was referencing back to that particularly good scene in the writers room I had to give her her kudos. To me it was believeable. Other reviewers feel like there was a sudden switch that was flipped and really all I can say is that I have to disagree. I'll also say that this book has more sex scenes than I personally care for usually, but how they were handled really worked for me. In part because I think it tied back to that mirroring, and while sex is inherently an act of intimacy it was clear that for at least Helen it wasn't as intimate as it was letting Grant actually in; it wasn't as intimate as allowing herself to be emotionally vulnerable.
I'll also admit that I appreciated this book wasn't necessarily about these two dating. Sure, they might as well be at a certain point, but they aren't and so the third act conflict isn't a rushed breaking up and getting back together; but a culmination of the avoidance Helen has really been doing coming home to roost. It's here that you actually get to see her dealing with the fact that maybe she does what to be emotionally vulnerable with this man and what that is going to mean. This doesn't wave a wand over anything, but it was compelling storytelling.
I was gripped the entire time I spent reading this book. If Kuang is as booked and busy as the streets have been telling me I don't know if we'll get another book from them, or if their work as a screenwriter/director is going to keep them too busy for the forseeable future. If that book ever does drop I will be rushing out to read it because this was an excellent debut as far as I was concerned.
To have me tell it, Kuang is lapping Ms. Henry in the adult romance game, but let's get into this book.
I'll be honest, I only kind of skimmed the description before selecting this from Libro. If you've been following me for any amount of time I hope it's obvious my love for stories set in Hollywood or are in any way tangentially related to Hollywood. Here we are following Helen, a YA author who is currently living the dream of riding their best selling series into a TV adaptation. She arrives in LA ready to take on the challenge of being a screenwriter for the first time, collaborating with other screenwriters on the show, seeing the characters she imagined coming to life in a new medium.
The only thing in her way is Grant, a man from her past with some pretty thorny connections to her family.
To this books credit the audiobook did come with a content warning about grief, which was important given the first chapter is thirteen years prior to the start of the book at Helen's sister's funeral... Thirteen years before the start of the story Helen's sister commited suicide [ I'm going to be honest the exact specifics have gotten fuzzy but I'm pretty sure it had something to do with her stepping out into oncoming traffic ] because Grant was the driver of the car that struck Helen's sister.
To be honest I wasn't sure how this book was going to make this a romance. After the book opened at the funeral I wasn't even sure that I had actually picked up a romance an that maybe I was playing into some subconscious sexism... The fact that Kuang was able to start there and end with a HFN speaks to the strength of the writing in my opinion.
I think that what was so smart about what Kuang was able to do here was use the setting of the writers room and the side characters working out character beats; particularly a believable way to adapt one of the romances from the books to the show as the template for setting up Helen and Grant. When I clocked that Kuang was referencing back to that particularly good scene in the writers room I had to give her her kudos. To me it was believeable. Other reviewers feel like there was a sudden switch that was flipped and really all I can say is that I have to disagree. I'll also say that this book has more sex scenes than I personally care for usually, but how they were handled really worked for me. In part because I think it tied back to that mirroring, and while sex is inherently an act of intimacy it was clear that for at least Helen it wasn't as intimate as it was letting Grant actually in; it wasn't as intimate as allowing herself to be emotionally vulnerable.
I'll also admit that I appreciated this book wasn't necessarily about these two dating. Sure, they might as well be at a certain point, but they aren't and so the third act conflict isn't a rushed breaking up and getting back together; but a culmination of the avoidance Helen has really been doing coming home to roost. It's here that you actually get to see her dealing with the fact that maybe she does what to be emotionally vulnerable with this man and what that is going to mean. This doesn't wave a wand over anything, but it was compelling storytelling.
I was gripped the entire time I spent reading this book. If Kuang is as booked and busy as the streets have been telling me I don't know if we'll get another book from them, or if their work as a screenwriter/director is going to keep them too busy for the forseeable future. If that book ever does drop I will be rushing out to read it because this was an excellent debut as far as I was concerned.
February 16, 2024
When I want a romcom, THIS is what I want!!! no wonder yulin is adapting Emily Henry’s books because she just GETS IT!!!!
Give me two deeply flawed people who don’t believe they deserve love and think of themselves as burdens!!! It’s so REAL
I bloody LOVE a romance set amidst Hollywood and this DELIVERS!!
The pacing, character development, humour, romance, smut, dialogue, it’s all so perfect I want to scream. Yulin’s writing is so bloody good - it strikes such a readable tone while juggling some heavy themes while still being enjoyable.
Helen’s popular ya series is being adapted into a tv show, so she gets to go to Hollywood to join the writers room. Grant is a writer (and very hot) who is working on the show. Helen’s sister threw herself in front of grant’s car while they were in school and died. Helen and grant have a whole lot of history and a whole lot of sexual tension. IT HITS!!!! Forced proximity and shared trauma at its peak. THIS is what a romcom should be!!! Two flawed people doing their best even when they’re being destructive but actively choosing to heal!!! The connection they have being explored to it’s absolutely peak!!!! The ups and downs of love because yes it hurts and it’s not perfect unless you really put the time in and decide it’s what you want!!! Love can be heartbreak and that’s ok!!! It’s all so perfect I can’t.
I loved how we got to see Helen and grant face their problems, and that this book didn’t shy away from them - her grief, his panic attacks, her feeling nothing, him feeling inadequate - the plot works perfectly for these characters exploring themselves and growing to become a better version of themselves. It’s masterfully done.
I just loved it, everyone go read this when it’s out because it’s been so long since I’ve read a debut romance this brilliant. It should get its own on screen adaptation one day.
Give me two deeply flawed people who don’t believe they deserve love and think of themselves as burdens!!! It’s so REAL
I bloody LOVE a romance set amidst Hollywood and this DELIVERS!!
The pacing, character development, humour, romance, smut, dialogue, it’s all so perfect I want to scream. Yulin’s writing is so bloody good - it strikes such a readable tone while juggling some heavy themes while still being enjoyable.
Helen’s popular ya series is being adapted into a tv show, so she gets to go to Hollywood to join the writers room. Grant is a writer (and very hot) who is working on the show. Helen’s sister threw herself in front of grant’s car while they were in school and died. Helen and grant have a whole lot of history and a whole lot of sexual tension. IT HITS!!!! Forced proximity and shared trauma at its peak. THIS is what a romcom should be!!! Two flawed people doing their best even when they’re being destructive but actively choosing to heal!!! The connection they have being explored to it’s absolutely peak!!!! The ups and downs of love because yes it hurts and it’s not perfect unless you really put the time in and decide it’s what you want!!! Love can be heartbreak and that’s ok!!! It’s all so perfect I can’t.
I loved how we got to see Helen and grant face their problems, and that this book didn’t shy away from them - her grief, his panic attacks, her feeling nothing, him feeling inadequate - the plot works perfectly for these characters exploring themselves and growing to become a better version of themselves. It’s masterfully done.
I just loved it, everyone go read this when it’s out because it’s been so long since I’ve read a debut romance this brilliant. It should get its own on screen adaptation one day.
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.
April 9, 2024
4.5 ⭐️
This one hurt
This one hurt
April 15, 2024
the kind of woman who deserves grant would have found him on the right coast, the one he calls home, and he would have opened his arms and she would have fallen into them for the first time and known it was her favorite place in the world right away.
4.5 ★
how to end a love story, yulin kuang's remarkable debut novel, strikes the perfect balance between a romance that invades your heart and the idea that the past doesn't leave us until we do the hard work. thirteen years ago, an unspeakable tragedy tangled grant and helen's lives together forever. now, they're both members of a writer's room for a television production. though they are of course individually talented, the mountain that is their history may prove too tough to climb.
he nudges her pinkie slightly with his and she answers by lifting her pinkie to cover his own. not quite holding hands in public, but — something.
helped by their forced proximity, helen and grant settle into a visceral connection that might be doomed. a mutual agreement to walk away when the time comes and a trip down memory lane leave grant, especially grant, and helen fast in love. they really came to understand each other — the things they love, the things that scare them, each other's deepest desires. despite knowing they won't have forever, they gave each other trust and a safe harbor when old wounds refused to stay closed. it was really a beautiful story...
want me, love me, have me, keep me, her pulse races to communicate.
...a beautiful story that hurt so damn much! yulin and emily henry's partnership for the adaptations of people we meet on vacation and beach read makes so much sense now. both writers have tackled the shaky ground grief can be and handled the topic with care. grant and helen's love was equal parts angst and tenderness, elements that were perfectly paired. poor grant was hopeless without his girl. in order to come rushing back, that man only needed a crumb of a sign that she was just as committed. the final few chapters left me sobbing in the best way.
alright, I have rambled enough. just read it please.
4.5 ★
how to end a love story, yulin kuang's remarkable debut novel, strikes the perfect balance between a romance that invades your heart and the idea that the past doesn't leave us until we do the hard work. thirteen years ago, an unspeakable tragedy tangled grant and helen's lives together forever. now, they're both members of a writer's room for a television production. though they are of course individually talented, the mountain that is their history may prove too tough to climb.
he nudges her pinkie slightly with his and she answers by lifting her pinkie to cover his own. not quite holding hands in public, but — something.
helped by their forced proximity, helen and grant settle into a visceral connection that might be doomed. a mutual agreement to walk away when the time comes and a trip down memory lane leave grant, especially grant, and helen fast in love. they really came to understand each other — the things they love, the things that scare them, each other's deepest desires. despite knowing they won't have forever, they gave each other trust and a safe harbor when old wounds refused to stay closed. it was really a beautiful story...
want me, love me, have me, keep me, her pulse races to communicate.
...a beautiful story that hurt so damn much! yulin and emily henry's partnership for the adaptations of people we meet on vacation and beach read makes so much sense now. both writers have tackled the shaky ground grief can be and handled the topic with care. grant and helen's love was equal parts angst and tenderness, elements that were perfectly paired. poor grant was hopeless without his girl. in order to come rushing back, that man only needed a crumb of a sign that she was just as committed. the final few chapters left me sobbing in the best way.
alright, I have rambled enough. just read it please.
Read
April 20, 2024Gave me some Romantic Comedy vibes and loved the balance of humor and heavy topics. Definitely more spicy than I expected!
30 second book review here https://www.instagram.com/p/C59oJr6vs_c/
30 second book review here https://www.instagram.com/p/C59oJr6vs_c/
May 3, 2024
finally a thirrd act breakup/conflict that actual was believable and made sense why they couldn’t be together. i feel like so many times in romances the third act is like ??? really. and just not believable and doesn’t make much sense. kind of just there to follow the romance formula so many authors and books follow. but this one just UGH !!!!
i loved the characters GRANT SHEPARD HELLLOOOOO !!!! loved the plot. absolutely ADORED the writing. this book will pull at your heart strings. and idk the way smut was done in this book was so GOOD and REAL and just like - grownup ???? idk but 4.5 ⭐️s
i loved the characters GRANT SHEPARD HELLLOOOOO !!!! loved the plot. absolutely ADORED the writing. this book will pull at your heart strings. and idk the way smut was done in this book was so GOOD and REAL and just like - grownup ???? idk but 4.5 ⭐️s
March 24, 2024
no bc i thought about this book overnight and what the fuck?
April 9, 2024
you know what helen, you were right. this man deserves better than you
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