Reviews with content warning for Drug use - How to End a Love Story

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How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang

33 reviews

kitcat_reads's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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meredith_williams_'s review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I have incredibly mixed feelings about this book. I was really excited to read this author’s debut because she’s the screenwriter on Dollface, one of my favorite shows (that was unjustly canceled after two short but perfect seasons!) I know she has also garnered a lot of attention for her upcoming work with Emily Henry as the screenwriter for her book to film adaptations. I think my expectations were too contingent upon my own preconceived notions, because the story was much less whimsical, lighthearted, romantic comedy, and much more dramatic, emotionally heavy exploration of the concept of love in all its forms. While I’m normally a fan of both of those things, this one just felt a little too melodramatic and messy in places.

While I really loved FMC, Helen’s, journey to finding peace after the trauma of losing her sister, the fact that MMC, Grant, was the one driving the car that accidentally caused her death was simply too much for me. I liked that it allowed them to both related to one another in a meaningful way, but the trauma bond of it all took me out every time. Especially when it came to Helen’s relationship with her parents. I related in a lot of ways with her compartmentalization and the way she tried to preserve peace in their relationship, but the way they reacted to her dating Grant was so hard to read. The character of Grant was a well rounded romantic hero and I liked that he had his own emotional journey. (My only complaint about him is they way he rudely asked his mom to make him coffee and bring it to his room that one time he brought Helen to his childhood home!) There were a lot of romantic moments between him and Helen that were well written and very sweet (the flea market coat rack date, the train scene, the library proposal) but, unfortunately, a lot of the writing in the spicer scenes made me cringe. Also, the nickname Cracker Jack was weird and unnecessary.

Overall, I feel like this book would have been better edited for and marketed as contemporary fiction instead of romance. I will definitely pick up whatever Yulin Kuang puts out next, but this one was not an all time favorite for me.

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stephrand's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I always love a book that entails the behind-the-scenes of some kind of entertainment production and enjoyed the cast of characters that came from the writing room.

Helen is a bit hard to root for/like at times, but it makes sense from all of the family trauma and drama she has endured. Parts of her and Grant’s story seemed a bit choppy at parts (how quickly they went from enemies to friends to more) but I did enjoy this overall.

A lot of serious topics, but also a lot of spice (if that’s not your thing, I’d skip this one).

TW: death, suicide, substance abuse

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gwenswoons's review against another edition

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dark sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Liked a lot about this - it didn’t feel entirely successful to me, but I would certainly read more by Yulin Kuang in the future! I really appreciated that the author dived into complex familial relationships (especially with the female MC’s first-generation immigrant parents) and the specific nature of grief after losing someone close to suicide. I loved the chemistry between the two central characters and thought the sex scenes (VERY open door 😂😜) were super hot throughout and really gorgeously written.

I did find the characters’ arcs disappointing and flat - somehow their individual growth in order to find their way back to each other didn’t quite register or land believably. I also guess I struggled (though I am a voracious rom-com and romance reader and actually very rarely say this!) with the believability of the basic premise: there were just a few too many neat/tidy coincidences to the overall romance plot, and though I get the plot device of this very specific enemies-to-lovers bent, it was so on the nose

(like…there’s enemies and there’s “was driving the car when your teenage sister, who had no access to mental health support, jumped in front of it and died by suicide”)

that it felt sort of heavy-handed ultimately. As I said - lots that was interesting, and also not totally satisfying for me ultimately.

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sdupont's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I did enjoy this book overall but I felt like the resolution from the third act conflict was quickly resolved. I wanted the characters to talk out the issue more. It felt rushed after the hurt. I really liked Grant he was very vulnerable and honest about his feelings, truly begging to be loved. I needed our girl Helen to put in a little more work. She was in denial and we didn’t get to really see her growth. It felt like she all of a sudden decided she was in love and ready during the resolution. This book covers a lot of emotional topics. I think fans of Emily Henry will like this one, I can see why Yulin was slated to adapt Beach Read.

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jen_sometimes's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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sarasukovic's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

3.5

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natashaleighton_'s review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A gorgeously written and all encompassing contemporary romance, that tugged at my heartstrings just as much as it made me swoon. If you love your romances slow burn, sizzlingly intense and bordering the literary— then you’re in for an absolute treat!

Told through the alternating POVs of Helen and Grant, whose complicated history (Helen’s sister committed suicide via moving car, which happened to be driven by Grant) and growing attraction sees them navigating grief, guilt, the long term effects of trauma, forgiveness and even love in a heartfelt (and surprisingly pragmatic) way that I found incredibly relatable.

Given that gut punch of an opening chapter, I had no idea how Yulin Kuang was going to get our protagonists to actually talk to each other (let alone fall in love.) But the intricate (and nuanced) way in which their chemistry and intense attraction for one another is explored was simply breathtaking.

I don’t think I’ve ever rooted for a couple quite as much as I did Helen and Grant, who have far more in common than either could ever imagine. Both struggling to cope with the after effects of their shared trauma and the loneliness caused by their emotionally guarded, workaholic lifestyles. I loved watching them slowly puzzle each other out, and begin to open up to one another—healing emotional wounds they’ve both carried for thirteen years.

Helen’s complicated bond with her mother and the guilt she feels surrounding her relationship with Grant adds the perfect amount of conflict to keep things interesting without spiralling into anything overly dramatic or unbelievable.

I do think this is the kind of book that needs to be read to be truly appreciated, and I honestly feel Kuang’s background in screenwriting helped soo much with that. Oftentimes with prose dripping with sensory imagery that evoked grand and complex feelings without a single line of dialogue needed (which I absolutely loved.)

Overall, How To End A Love Story was a lush, emotional rollercoaster of a debut that has me eager for more of Kuang’s work. Fans of Emily Henry or Sally Thorne should definitely consider picking this one up. Just check the TWs first.

Also, a huge thank you to Tallulah over very at Hodder Fiction for the fabulous proof.

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gabichatslit's review against another edition

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3.5

Wow. Wow. Wow.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for gifting an eARC of this book in exchange for review*

This book kept me enraptured, had my emotions up and down, and felt like watching an impending train crash at times. But I couldn’t look away and I couldn’t stop reading.

The premise had me intrigued from the moment the book’s release was announced and I just kept thinking— “there’s no way this is gonna work. how will this possibly work?” lol And for the first 30% of the novel, I was still like how can this end well for anyone? But Kuang made it work and by 41% I was rooting for Helen and Grant.

These characters felt so so real. And I love how the POV’s flowed between the main characters multiple times in every chapter instead of bouncing between each one chapter to chapter. Helen drove me up a wall at the beginning with her insecurities but it made her feel so human because like I know her, I’ve been her. It felt so good to watch her grow and establish boundaries kind of with her parents. And see her make friends. It was nice to see Grant fight for something/someone and to not let things happen to him. They deserved a happy ending with one another because they really saw one another and pushed the other to be better.

I wish there had been more moments of watching Helen and Grant settle into their relationship after getting over their big hurdle. Only having like one or two chapters of their HEA, felt like a letdown given how much they overcame but I had a good time nonetheless.

There were moments while reading, where I was floored by the way Kuang wrote not only dialogue but prose, and I find myself reassured that us, Emily Henry fans, are in good hands with her at the helm of the PWMOV and Beach Read adaptations.

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hannahmichele5's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Beautiful, heartbreaking, angsty, hilarious, steamy, phenomenal, etc. etc. etc.

I might write a more coherent review someday but probably not. Fans of Emily Henry, Elissa Sussman, Tia Williams, and Ashley Poston (so, me) will INHAIL this book!

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