Editorial Content for How to End a Love Story
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
By all accounts, Helen Zhang's life has been a success story. She's the bestselling author of one of the most popular young adult fantasy series in recent years that is now under development as a television show, for which she has been included on the writing team. But almost no one knows that Helen is lonely in New York or that she’s looking forward to a brief respite from writing --- not because of the chance to rub elbows with stars but because she's been unable to produce a new novel. Nor do most people know that Helen is still recovering from the tragic death of her younger sister, Michelle, when they were in high school.
"Readers and TV fans alike will find themselves hoping that HOW TO END A LOVE STORY will have a screen adaptation of its own."
But all of those things get tied up together when Helen discovers that the assistant showrunner is none other than her former high school classmate, Grant Shepard, who also has been haunted by Michelle's death for the past 13 years. The last time Helen saw Grant, she was screaming at him to leave Michelle's memorial service. Now she's going to have to sit next to him every day for weeks, whether she likes it or not.
At first, Helen’s forced proximity to Grant is painful and awkward. But as the weeks go by, she has to acknowledge that she is attracted to him and that, ironically, he may be the one person she can talk to about the unresolved pain of Michelle's death. Grant seems to feel the same, and they soon discover that they complement each other perfectly, whether in the writers' room or in the bedroom. Still, the idea of a future together is unimaginable, even for two talented writers. How can Helen and Grant's happiness be so entangled in the grief of their shared past?
Debut novelist Yulin Kuang is an experienced screenwriter, including writing film adaptations for two of Emily Henry's mega-popular rom-coms. HOW TO END A LOVE STORY carries much of the same emotional depth as Henry's work does, though the tragic elements at the heart of Kuang's novel mean that Helen and Grant's journey to love takes them through some truly dark territory both together and separately.
Beyond the personal dramas at its center, the book is a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes at everything that goes into building a television series, written by someone who knows this world intimately. The relationships between the show's writing team are crisply and at times hilariously drawn. In addition to gaining perspective (and maybe love), Helen eventually discovers the rewards and friendship that grow out of a new kind of collaboration. Readers and TV fans alike will find themselves hoping that HOW TO END A LOVE STORY will have a screen adaptation of its own.
Teaser
Helen Zhang hasn’t seen Grant Shepard once in the 13 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. Grant has done everything in his power to move on from the past. 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. But when secrets come to light, they must reckon with the fact that theirs was never meant to be any kind of love story. Yet the key to making peace with their past --- and themselves --- just might lie in holding on to each other in the present.
Promo
Helen Zhang hasn’t seen Grant Shepard once in the 13 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. Grant has done everything in his power to move on from the past. 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. But when secrets come to light, they must reckon with the fact that theirs was never meant to be any kind of love story. Yet the key to making peace with their past --- and themselves --- just might lie in holding on to each other in the present.
About the Book
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 13 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 is 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. Yet the key to making peace with their past --- and themselves --- might just lie in holding on to each other in the present.
Audiobook available, read by Katharine Chin and Andrew Eiden
