I had heard that this was a tearjerker so, being the wimp that I am, I held off reading it until the last minute. But the second I started, I wanted to smack myself for waiting so long! Within the first few pages, I fell into the rhythm of Helen Hoang’s writing, drawn in by the dry humor and inner musings of the heroine, Anna Sun. And then there’s the reason I was excited to read the book in the first place. The Heart Principle is Quan Diep’s story, so I was already invested. Yet the Quan we’re presented with is not the Quan of previous books, but rather a starkly different man with less confidence, less swagger, and more vulnerability.  
 
Fresh off her boyfriend’s unexpected announcement that he wants an open relationship to see other people before they settle down, Anna is determined to have a string of one-night stands in retaliation. When she comes across Quan on a dating app, he seems like the perfect candidate to take home for a night of no-strings-attached intimacy. Her plan gets derailed not just once but over and over again, but the connection between persistently draws them back together. Their flirtation quickly develops into a quasi-relationship, but a number of obstacles - both physical and emotional - seem to conspire to make theirs a star-crossed romance.

Part romance, part journey of self-realization, The Heart Principle is a gut-wrenchingly emotional story about two broken individuals. Helen Hoang gives readers a raw, unfiltered glimpse into the lives of two characters overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges, but doing so in a way that we can understand and relate to. Much of the subject matter is sensitive, yet the author doesn’t stray from exposing every messy, complicated detail. She effortlessly conveys the maelstrom of emotions that Anna in particular goes through at any given moment, detailing her stream of thoughts and rationalizations in a way that gives the reader a better idea of what it’s like to be inside of her mind. I appreciated the unflinchingly honest portrayal of Anna and Quan’s relationship both with themselves and with each other. The narrative was that much more poignant and thought-provoking because of it.  
 
If you’re looking for a heartfelt, evocative captivating read, The Heart Principle is one of my top favorite books of the year so far. I couldn’t put it down once I got started! It seems like I’ve been waiting so long for this book, but Quan and Anna’s story is well worth the wait.  
 
Special thanks to the publisher for providing an e-ARC for an honest review. ❤️

[Possible spoilers]

This book was deeper than The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test, in my opinion. Hoang states, in her author's note, that The Heart Principle is the most autobiographical of the three books, as it relates to her own journey with learning that she is on the autism spectrum. While this topic was broached a bit in The Kiss Quotient, this book also addresses issues that non-autistic folx may be unfamiliar with, like autistic burnout and not being believed by family or friends. I feel that it is also important to mention that this book contains ableism, medical illnesses, caregiving, and suicidal ideation.

Despite all of this, Hoang has delivered a romance with a slow burn and instant connection between Anna and Quan. Their conversations flow easily and they seem to fit. Quan and Anna are able to give one another the compassion and empathy that neither seem to be able to give themselves, at first. Anna's need to please everyone and Quan's insecurities stand in their way but these issues make the resolution very satisfying. Their sex scenes are very steamy but not quite smut because their intimacy is directly tied to their hang-ups, which is understandable. If anything, I'd say that their connection looks like lasting love. That #RideorDie type stuff. The only turn-off, for me, was the author's use of the phrase "her sex" and "his sex" to refer to the character's genitals. I'm not a fan, but you may not mind!

Although I predicted the climax of this book, it was still hard to read! I kept wanting to stop, but I knew that I just had to get through it to get to the resolution. I'm still not sure if I liked the pacing or not. The plot moves along slowly for most of the book as Anna's issues arise and she gets comfortable with Quan, but then it speeds up at the end. I understand this might be to connect with Anna's emotions as this book is written in first-person.

Verdict:
I recommend this book to folx who enjoyed Hoang's previous two and are okay with taking a walk in Anna's shoes!

Helen Hoang manages to write perfect books. Every book in this serious perfectly blends mental health issues and fantastic romance.
Anna Sun is a talented violinist that can no longer play. After accidentally achieving success with a viral youtube video, the expectations of others begin to wear on her. On top of that, her boyfriend Julian wants to be in an open relationship. When scrolling through a dating app one night, Anna meets Quan, a children's clothing designer who is struggling with his own personal issues. They're only supposed to have a one night stand, but could this lead to more?

Anna's boyfriend suddenly announces that he wants to open up their relationship before they fully commit to being together forever. Although Anna does not like the idea, she feels like she has no choice but to agree. She decides that she will test the waters and her skills in the bedroom with someone she meets through a dating app. When she meets Quan, she only intends to spend one night with him, but that one night turns into a plan to meet again...and then again. What started off as a search for a one-night stand turns into both of them finding a person who will help them fight their demons.

Whenever I find a romance book with Asian American main characters that I enjoy, I get so excited! It seems like such a trivial thing, but as an Asian American, I crave being able to read stories about Asians in romances because it's not very common and I like to see people like me get their HEAs. Quan is Vietnamese American and Chinese American, and I loved that their families and cultures were represented in this book.

I wasn't a huge Quan fan before this book, but now I am all about him. His health battle has left him in a vulnerable state, but he still has all of those bad ass traits that I love in men in romance novels (like having tattoos and riding a motorcycle). What I loved the most about him was that he was there for Anna. Anything she needed, he was there for her, even when she didn't ask for it. Quan was able to push Anna to see things about herself that she should celebrate.

I appreciated being able to witness Anna's journey in discovering her neurotypical traits and her struggles with an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis. In some ways, it helped her feel better to put a name to what she experiences and in other ways she struggled with the idea of having Autism. I love that Helen Hoang could provide an own voice perspective on this journey that Anna went through.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable romance novel that touches on the important topics of mental health and neurodiversity.

Steam level: 🔥🔥🔥
⚠️: cancer, death of a parent, anxiety, implied suicidal thoughts

4 stars!

Violinist Anna is at one of the worst points in her career. On a leave of absence from her job, she struggles to finish one song playing it over and over again. When her long time boyfriend says he wants to change their relationship to an open one and see other people, Anna takes this chance to attempt a one night stand. Through a dating app she meets Quan, and their first meeting doesn’t go well. Neither does their second. But for some reason, they keep coming back to each other, accepting each other on an unconditional level.

I thought this was such an emotional and impactful story that so many people can relate to on a personal level. This book was a lot more than just a romance novel, and I would say if it weren’t for the steamy parts of the book, this would be classified as adult fiction instead. You can tell that when Hoang wrote this book, she put so much of herself and her experiences into it. It felt deeply personal when I was reading it. Even though this book went to a darker place, I still very much enjoyed reading it. A lot of this book seemed to be about expectations, ones for ourselves and from other people in our lives, and how we deal with them.

The only thing I didn’t super love about this book was the romance. Don’t get me wrong, I thought the connection Quan and Anna had was so sweet and special, and they were both so supportive and accepting of each other. I just felt it was rushed, and at times brushed aside with an odd mention here or there and I was confused as to how certain things progressed so quickly with barely any explanation.

I think so many readers are going to love this book and I think Helen Hoang is quickly becoming one of those rock star authors that we will excitedly anticipate every release from in the years to come. Her books are really something special in the romance world.

Absolutely loved this novel, and loved that you didn't have to read the first two novels if this is your first one. It was nice to read a romance that wasn't all fluff and really dug into issues that are hardly noticed nor spoke upon.

I don’t think any review could do THE HEART PRINCIPLE justice because it’s ~that good~ It was so sweet and swoon worthy, and my heart feels like it got punched, but like in a good way (if that makes sense.) Yes, this is a romance novel, but it’s also a book about a woman finding the courage to stand up for herself, coming to terms with her ASD diagnosis, and dealing with some unexpected family tragedy. This book definitely has a more serious vibe than the other two books in this series, but definitely still a must read! Side note: if you want to sob you have to read the authors note 😭

Hoang's latest romance is just as bingeable as her earlier two (trust me, I read it in one sitting, foregoing sleep). With that being said, she doesn't shy away from deeper and more complicated feelings of identity, grief, and familial expectation. It quietly affirms to the reader that romance is certainly not one-size-fits-all. While I personally hold a special place in my heart for THE KISS QUOTIENT and THE BRIDE TEST, this is the book that Hoang needed to write for herself, and I applaud her for it.

I absolutely LOVED Helen Hoang’s newest book in The Kiss Quotient series and read it in less than 24 hours. It’s about a violinist with burnout who starts dating after her serious boyfriend decides they should be in an open relationship. Not only is it super sweet and steamy, but it tackles some really deep issues and is raw, vulnerable, and full of heart.

This is hands down Hoang’s best work yet, and as we see in the author’s note, it’s deeply personal and she drew from her own life experiences. I was already blown away by the book, but knowing this made it EVEN better.

I loved both The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test but have read some reviews from people who struggled with those books but ADORED this one – so if that sounds like you, I’d still encourage you to give this one a try!!! It’s BEAUTIFUL and deserves all the stars 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻.

***These books don’t be need to be read in order and can be read as stand-alones. Some of the same characters show up briefly in all of them but you don’t need any background context to understand what’s going on***

Thank you to @berkleypub and @netgalley for providing an advance copy of this book for review purposes!

I had read that this book would be different than her others but I don’t think it sunk in. It started like a romance novel but the majority of the book was sad. It was so sad. It really was a good book but you’ll be disappointed if you are looking for another Kiss Quotient.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for an eARC of this marvellous gem of a book!

So, note to self: the next time your friend says you NEED to read a particular author? Listen! Helen Hoang has lived on my TBR for well over a year now—but I only finally picked her up when granted ‘The Heart Principle’ for review…. And. Just. Wow. Now I am shaming myself, because this book is beautiful and I truly appreciated every moment I spent reading.

Helen Hoang indicates this book served as an incredibly personal journey for her—part memoir in its exploration of an adult woman finally receiving, and recognizing herself through a diagnosis on the autism spectrum. And I definitely felt that truth while reading and living inside Anna’s head. Which is not to say it was an easy read either: I loved Anna, but I also felt frustrated by her at times and her family? Definitely a prime example of how the family you are born into may honestly love you and want what is best for you—but that does not always translate into them truly knowing you, accepting you and giving you what you need.

On the other hand, our love interest Quan is the perfect counterbalance in her life (the key element that makes and keeps this a beautiful romance, rather than a heavy family drama). Because while he is absolutely still human and working on overcoming his own hurdles, he accepts Anna for herself, immediately—no judgments, no demands, just a genuine desire to know her and love her and see her happy.

All in all, I loved this story and the journey it took me on and even the not-so-perfectly-tied-up-in-bow-but-oh-so-more-real ending. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This book was everything I needed!! Romance novels that have one or both characters in therapy, where they’re able to share hard truths with their partner, are so much better than novels where the main issue is a miscommunication that could have been easily avoided. This is my first time reading a Helen Hoang novel and I can’t wait to read her other work in this series — the autistic rep (especially in women) is so important and eye opening!

I've been holding onto to this review for a while, because I wasn't sure what to say.

I like Hoang's writing, and Quan is easily my favorite character of her other books, and I was looking forward to this one. But it was in first person present tense, which is almost always a dealbreaker for me. I liked different aspects of this book, like the depiction of the struggles of being a caretaker, and I didn't mind that this was darker than the previous books. But it fell short for me in a lot of ways - I wanted to see more of Quan's development and struggles, and I felt like both of the characters' stories could've been fleshed out slightly more. By definition, a dating app romance is likely insta-love, which also isn't my favorite.

Ah well, I wish I liked this better. 2 - 2.5 stars.

I received the eARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Helen Hoang has done it again - The Heart Principle is easily one of the best romances I’ve read in a long time. Hoang does an amazing job of examining the various types of love - romantic, familial, friend and self-love. However, I would note that The Heart Principle is not a romantic comedy, but is instead a rather heavy novel.

Even after reading the first two books in this series, I was surprised by how well-developed and complex Anna and Quan were as characters. Both of them (flaws and all) felt incredibly realistic, which made it easy to care about them and their struggles. However, this book is about much more than the romance/friendship that develops between them - The Heart Principle is also about family, self-advocacy, and drawing the boundaries that you need to in order to be healthy. Hoang also did an amazing job of portraying caregiver fatigue in a more compassionate and realistic manner than I’ve seen in fiction before.

Overall, I would absolutely recommend both this series and this book! I also really recommend reading the author’s note at the end, it adds an entirely new layer to this already brilliant book.

The Heart Principle is the latest release in the Kiss Quotient series by this author, and probably one of the most anticipated releases of the year for romance. This book has been so on the waiting list for so many of us romance readers, there were some delays to the book being release (definitely understable) and I was thrilled when I was offered a copy with Berkley. But even though it saddens my heart, I couldn’t give this book more than a three-star rating. This book just wasn’t for me, and it probably is because this book is NOT a romance, it’s women’s fiction. I feel like this factor isn’t quite understood and after reading it, I completely understand why it is. Now women’s fiction isn’t really my cup of tea unless I am in the right mood for it which is probably why this didn’t quite work for me the way I expected it to. The story focuses on Anna Sun, who has had some startling revelations about herself, and there are some family issues that can be crippling for her. (please check the triggers for this book before reading it) My heart just broke for Anna, she had so much strength, but she really had to deal with so much. Quan was a delight but sadly his role in the book was the back story and I was sad. I had been looking forward to his book so much and felt like he deserved more attention. While I completely understand the author’s motivations for this story, it just didn’t meet up with my expectations of the story. I wanted to love this one but in the end, it just didn’t work out that way in my reading of it. I am curious if this author will be focusing more on women’s fiction and letting go of writing romance, I dearly hope not, but if she does decide to go down that path, I am not sure if I will continue reading her or will wait until I am more in a women’s fiction mindset. Currently, I just need all the romance (:))

I just know that this story will work for so many readers especially if you have been anticipating it, but this story just wasn’t for me at the time I read it. I know my mood at the time wasn’t right for it, and it evoked certain emotions I wasn’t ready to experience at the time. I truly admire this author, and what she has been dealing with and felt a connection to her in this book but it was a bit of a disappointment after the long wait of it.

The feelings. I have all of them. This book was completely worth the wait.

I loves Anna and Quan. I've always loved him, and I'm so thankful that he got his own book. I loved their relationship right away, and I appreciated the journey that they both went on. The growth and acceptance that they both worked through was moving. I cried, a lot, through the course of this story.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this amazing novel.

Helen Hoang did it again. I went into this book with very high hopes because the first two in the series were fantastic, in my opinion, and I knew this one had to be good as well. HH took this book to another level in comparison to THE KISS QUOTIENT and THE BRIDE TEST. Yes, we still have our steamy romance between a “neurotypical” character and one who is “neurodiverse”, or on the autism spectrum. But what this installment also has is SO many heavy emotion and tough topics.

I truly wasn’t expecting this book to be as heavy as it was, but it was a nice change from the first two and really showed me the strength in Hoang’s writing. I think Quan and Anna are officially my favorite duo of all the books and I was so sad to have this book end. It was completely worth the long wait!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me a copy of this ARC so I could experience such a wonderful journey of emotions through this book.

If you’re not reading this book, what are you doing?

I’ve wanted to read a book by Helen Hoang for so long. The Kiss Quotient was definitely first, but I’m glad I got a chance to read this book too. I felt a rollercoaster of emotions throughout this book. My favourite thing about it were the raw emotions. The way that the book is written, you are able to feel the emotions of the characters. There are so many things that are portrayed in this book that I loved because of how much it taught me and how much I could relate to. From ASD to family expectations. Anna’s sister made me SO angry, but it was the sad reality that is how some sibling relationships are. The raw emotions that are filled in this book help build a connection for the story and the plot.

Quan, I love you so much. The way that he’s been so understanding since the start, knows what to say, wasn’t judgemental with so many lovable qualities makes him the perfect imperfect man.

This book just makes me more excited to read other stuff by Helen.

AVISO DE GATILHO: ansiedade, depressão, relacionamento tóxico, autodepreciação, abuso emocional de familiar, fobia social, morte, luto, pensamentos suicidas e menção a câncer.

Após um sucesso repentino, Anna não consegue mais tocar violino como antes, seus dias são uma grande repetição de recomeçar e errar uma peça feita para ela. Para piorar, seu namorado decide que eles precisam ter um relacionamento aberto antes do próximo passo, mas na verdade ele quer poder ter encontros sexuais e tem certeza de que Anna o estará esperando. Mas Anna não quer isso, e por mais que a apavore, ela decide que se Julian pode ter encontros com outras mulheres, ela também pode encontrar outros homens.

Namorar e ter encontros casuais nunca foi um problema para Quan, até o câncer no testículo mudar seu corpo para sempre. A insegurança de estar com alguém o domina, e influenciado por seu primo e melhor amigo, Michael, ele decide baixar aplicativos de encontros. E é através de um deles que Quan e Anna se encontram, ambos tem obstáculos para que tudoo dê errado, mas a conexão entre eles é forte mesmo através de mensagens.

Essa história é diferente dos outros dois livros da Helen Hoang, é mais pessoal, mais triste, tem situações que me pegaram de um jeito que eu não imaginava, mas não de uma forma ruim. Eu refleti muito com situações vividas por Anna e Quan, principalmente por ela e seus pensamentos sobre si mesma. O Quan é um personagem que eu queria ler sobre desde o primeiro livro, e ver ele aqui de uma forma tão diferente foi um choque, mas também muito interessante.

A história tem romance, mas as questões individuais dos personagens acaba sendo maior do que a história de amor entre eles e isso não me atrapalhou em nada. Eu recomendo muito essa leitura, mas fiquem atentos aos gatilhos que apresentei no começo.

I totally enjoyed The Heart Principle, by Helen Hoang, book three in the Kiss Quotient series. This is my first book by Hoang who took this reader on an intense emotional roller coaster, telling a tale that tugs at the heart-strings and is filled with amazing characters. There are so many sensitive issues that are realistically addressed in this book; including grief, terminal disease, cancer, caretaking, stroke, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Each issue is discussed open heartedly while teaching and assisting in connecting with our own life problems and our loved ones who might have suffered or are still suffering from similar issues. There's a lot going on in this book; a lot more than a romance, though that is handled well too. Anna and Quan are lovely, kind, with vulnerabilities and suffering so real, yet the chemistry between them sizzles off the page. Anna and Quan are characters that are easy to connect with along with the problems and struggles they are dealing with.

Ms. Hoang wrote an emotional, heart-wrenching, powerful, and realistic romantic story. This book is about our traumas, our family issues, being brave, liberating ourselves, taking risks, getting out of our comfort zones, destroying barriers we built, our weaknesses make us who we are, and the power of true love. I highly recommend The Heart Principle to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.