Reviews with content warning for Mental illness - How to End a Love Story

This shit will give you "INTENSE SHARED TRAUMA" to "extremely good, sweet romance" whiplash, but it's good.

Contemporary romance, NJ/NYC->LA bicoastal trauma bonding, spicy, 2 POVs, 3rd person, present tense.

Both protagonists are relatable with distinct voices and their own issues. No one is bringing a secure attachment style to the party and that's okay.

I burned through this book after a certain point. TraumaTraumaTrauma isn't my flavor of choice (bc I'm a weenie) and the first few chpts kept this book on my TBR longer than it should have, but there's so much rock solid other shit Kuang pulls. She's a master of casual, escalating intimacy- both physical and emotional. The dialogue is excellent. Sex scenes are very hot and organic.

If she writes more romance (or adventure- Kuang vibes like someone who'd nail a buddies-against-a-big-bad situation) I'm fucking there.

Rating: Higher rating than I thought I'd land on bc Kuang is so fucking good at organic intimacy (there are

cuddle

scenes), honest characters, and when she writes the big feelings they hit. The

HEA

has some banger passages.

Book about "The Industry"/Hollywood - this was the best version of "Hollywood" I've read or seen- it felt more like a description of a real job, workplace, and industry than the otherizing depictions that usually make it to us normies.

Narrators: Voice actors slapped. Katherine Chin was amazing and has a stable of voices that rules. Chpt 33

made me laugh harder than anything I've read in a while-

Andrew Eiden is always solid, but his take on that killed me.

Overall, Chin and Eiden's pacing made the book really beautiful.

Content Warnings

thatswhatshanread's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-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

It’s been a long time since a book has truly surprised me, and I commend Yulin Kuang’s debut (!) for doing it. This novel was a doozy, folks, and I loved it very much.

I think, if you’re looking for a modern book that has the vibes of Jane Austen when it comes to YEARNING and dramatic romance, this one has to be it??? That may sound crazy to say. But I couldn’t help feeling that familiar great tug and ache of Georgian-era stories. Okay, maybe this one has more of the tragedy synonymous with the Brontes. In any case, Kuang’s writing swept me away. The desperation on the pages gripped me to the bone. The way Grant wanted and needed Helen was so TANGIBLE.

“How To End A Love Story” was much more romantic and sexual than I thought it would be, especially considering the cold beginning and introduction to these two characters with the worst kind of shared tragedy. It worked so well obviously because one second I’m like okay and then I’m obsessed with the way they sink deeper into each other’s orbits and forgive themselves for being who they once were. I love that Grant falls first and isn’t afraid to tell Helen what he wants. It’s so genuine and so soft. Helen is more the stand-offish unsure one and their pairing doesn’t feel forced at all, even with the circumstances of their past and present. Kuang’s writing is harsh in a whimsical way, somehow an oxymoron of sweet subtle sentences and hard honest dialogue. There are heavy overall themes of suicide, grief, panic attacks. The story is very demanding of all of your emotions. It is definitely not a romcom. It’s a romantic drama for sure, with lots of deep trauma and healing.

THIS is how you do the grumpy x sunshine trope. It’s not too much of either, one character being a little ball of rainbow and glitter, the other the grim reaper who hates children and animals. It’s just the right amount of give and take, of one falling first and the other afraid to admit it. That’s that on tortured slow burns, baby. Lololololol the head of The Tortured Poets Department will see you now.

“Loving can hurt, and I want to do it anyway.”

READ THIS BOOK!!!!! Sorry if you cry but actually not really because crying is HEALTHY!!!!

Content Warnings

instalovewithbooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

I started this book as an audiobook, but soon realized that the audiobook wasn't fast enough for me, and that I had to switch to my physical copy I bought for Indie bookstore day and I'm so glad I did.

This book took me longer than I thought it would, but honestly I'm glad it did. I'm glad I didn't gobble it up, and slowly enjoyed Helens and Grants story.

I wasn't sure how this love story would end. It is a romance, and you need a HEA but there was so much against them. I did find that the ending was severely rushed and that possibly another 20 or so pages would have been nice.

Overall, a great read. Would read another book written by Yulin.

Content Warnings

moreadsnrambles's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional 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? It's complicated

3.5

Content Warnings

rheagoveas's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful slow-paced

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

4.5

Content Warnings

lisacanteven's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-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

4.0

I did enjoy this book. The plot was very unique and moved at a great pace. I loved hanging out with these characters. I just didn't love the writing style. It felt a little too screen writing and not enough like a novel. It was the same reason I don't care for Emily Henry's books. They feel like they are only written to become the next Netflix hit.
I'm also surprised the editor didn't make the author remove the use of "tattoo of his heartbeat" about 3 times. The fact that it appeared in the books 4 times (or more if I missed one) is outrageous.
I did really love the look into Helen and Grant's jobs. I would love to have that job if it didn't mean living in LA, so I really appreciated how much detail the author went into the scenes surrounding their jobs.

Content Warnings

beanith's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional slow-paced

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

3.75

I had (have?) a love-hate relationship with How to End a Love Story. The premise has many elements that appeal to me; two writers with a complicated history are forced to work together, set in Los Angeles. Ripe for tension building, messy feelings, and even the exploration of grief and healing.

I found the writing to be solid, and it’s abundantly clear to me that Kuang is a skilled storyteller. I would pick up another book from her in the future, and I look forward to her film adaptations of Emily Henry’s Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation. I see so much potential, but my reading experience with this was quite bumpy (at its lowest a 3.5 and at its highest a 4.25) and the issues I have are hard to ignore.

The build up to the relationship worked the best for me, unfortunately the follow through was convoluted.

My problems mostly revolve around Helen and how she treats Grant (and how the narrative handles his PTSD). This book is dual POV, and during the third act I found myself actively rooting for Grant to break up with Helen. She’s coming from a hurt place but there’s no excuse for how she behaves
-

Helen never really apologizes to him for treating him cruelly, even when she finally acknowledges that her sister’s death wasn’t his fault

Grant’s PTSD is not given the gravity it deserves, and he is forced to bottle his emotions for most of the book except for some key Big Scenes

Although they both agree to this ‘situationship with an end date’ thing (which seems like a disaster) Helen strings him along emotionally even when it seems obvious that he wants a genuine relationship

Grant literally and explicitly begs for her to love him and she still doesn’t cut him loose until the last possible second

When Helen does break up with him she’s really unsparing

I think this book had a hard time balancing its emotional core with ‘steamy romance’. It felt like once sex entered the picture the emotional growth of the characters paused. And the side characters weren’t really integrated enough in their lives to call them out on it.

Characters
Helen: I’m so sorry to this woman but I kind of hate her. I want her to heal and grow and find joy, but I also felt like she was really so bad for Grant.

Grant: I slow-burn fell for him lmao. He’s an oak tree, he’s the prom king, he’s an East Coast transplant, he’s got PTSD. I love him and want him to be happy and loved and taken care of.

Helen’s Mom and Dad: I loved the individual scenes they had with Grant, and I understand why they are the way they are, but it sure is a doozy (much love to all of you people pleasers with parents who love you but your not sure if they like you)

Michelle:

I wish there would have been more closure. Maybe if Helen had met one of her friends so we could understand Michelle better. But I understand that might not have been the goal of the story. Sometimes you never get closure.

How to End a Love Story (Taylor’s Version)
- I Can Do It With A Broken Heart
- Out of the Woods
- Gold Rush
- Guilty as Sin?
- Down Bad

Content Warnings

michelle_my_belle's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective relaxing sad 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? No

4.0

I really enjoyed this book. It was a great mix of heavy and fun (and spicy). I also appreciated the author's use of dual POV. It was so nice to get almost simultaneously, both characters' perspectives throughout the shared scenes. I could definitely feel the author's experience in screenwriting. The story felt very cinematic. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for this ARC.

Content Warnings

More...