How to End a Love Story

Book Review
How to End a Love Story

May 21, 2025

Yulin Kuang
May 21, 2025

Andrew Eiden (Narrator), Katharine Chin (Narrator)

READ VIA: Libby audio and ebook ABOUT: Connected through a shared high school trauma, Grant Shepard and Helen Zhang find themselves in a writer’s room adapting the script for Helen’s YA novel. Their attraction is undeniable, but their past and their feelings are messy. Helen tries to hold off on her feelings for Grant while he pursues her love openly, knowing it may end up breaking him apart. MY THOUGHTS: This is a spectacular debut novel. The writing is descriptive, the plot is driven by a shared pain, and insatiable hunger between our main characters. Told through alternating third-person points of view that switch at times within the chapter, the writing is fresh and beautiful and compels the reader through the novel. Their relationship is messy and complicated and, at times, feels impossible. This made me appreciate their love even more. Helen struggles to connect with her family, and this bleeds over into her ability to accept her feelings for Grant. There was an underpinning of the challenges of being a first-generation immigrant, how trauma impacts families, balanced by banter and sexy scenes, and I just marveled at how Kuang weaved this story together. Grant’s outward longing is balanced by Helen’s attempts to deprive them of the inevitable, and it is gorgeous. AUDIO: Andrew Eiden and Katharine Chin’s narration is perfection. Their voices pair exquisitely, bringing Helen and Grant’s passion, yearning, and heartwrenching journey to life. SIMILAR BOOKS: If you appreciate the depth of Seven Days in June, with the prickly female lead of Book Lovers, this would work well. SHOULD YOU READ: Highly recommend for fans of in-depth romances with intricate writing and hard fought happily ever afters.

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ISBN: 9780063310704

READ VIA:
Libby audio and ebook

ABOUT:
Connected through a shared high school trauma, Grant Shepard and Helen Zhang find themselves in a writer’s room adapting the script for Helen’s YA novel. Their attraction is undeniable, but their past and their feelings are messy.

Helen tries to hold off on her feelings for Grant while he pursues her love openly, knowing it may end up breaking him apart.

MY THOUGHTS:
This is a spectacular debut novel. The writing is descriptive, the plot is driven by a shared pain, and insatiable hunger between our main characters.

Told through alternating third-person points of view that switch at times within the chapter, the writing is fresh and beautiful and compels the reader through the novel.

Their relationship is messy and complicated and, at times, feels impossible. This made me appreciate their love even more.

Helen struggles to connect with her family, and this bleeds over into her ability to accept her feelings for Grant. There was an underpinning of the challenges of being a first-generation immigrant, how trauma impacts families, balanced by banter and sexy scenes, and I just marveled at how Kuang weaved this story together.

Grant’s outward longing is balanced by Helen’s attempts to deprive them of the inevitable, and it is gorgeous.

AUDIO:
Andrew Eiden and Katharine Chin’s narration is perfection. Their voices pair exquisitely, bringing Helen and Grant’s passion, yearning, and heartwrenching journey to life.

SIMILAR BOOKS:
If you appreciate the depth of Seven Days in June, with the prickly female lead of Book Lovers, this would work well.

SHOULD YOU READ:
Highly recommend for fans of in-depth romances with intricate writing and hard fought happily ever afters.

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