This book was an emotional rollercoaster. I found myself laughing and then a few pages later had tears running down my face. The representation in Helen Hoang's books always make me happy and seen. Her books have made it easier for me to, just like Anna says in the story, "Stop masking."

This review is from the digital audiobook from NetGalley. The narrator for the Anna character was not my favorite, although she may have been just trying to stay true to the volatile, moody nature of Anna with frequent times of whining or pleading in her head while being vocally false and amiable. I felt that the author missed an opportunity to go a little bit more into the ways that women on the autism spectrum can present differently than men or women with higher support needs. She commented often that she or others recognized certain things about her that could indicate ASL, but she didn't go into much of what those signs were that others may have been able to notice and support. Using Anna's relationships with her sister, parents, and boyfriend (Julian) we can see how much Anna is focused on pleasing others, and how important it is for Quan to help her not only become but also accept her authentic self, and then leave room for others in her life to meet and then move into accepting her as well.

TOP PICK!

Anna is a very talented violinist who is struggling to keep her self sane after she went viral. The pressure is mounting on her and she has a lot to contend with in her personal life as well. Her family dynamic is interesting to say the least. Her boyfriend leaves her and she needs to regain her footing in life. Her friends convince her to take a leap of faith with an online dating service where she meets Quan.

You ever get nervous that an author will ruin a character’s story that you have anticipated reading about since the first book? Well, that was me with this book. I kept stalking the internet to see when this book would be released. I wanted Quan’s story so bad. He is so rugged and different than his family. He stood out immediately from book one. I’m so happy that the author didn’t disappoint me. In fact, this may be the best book in the series to date. I’m a little biased. I loved Quan from hello but hey who wouldn’t?

Quan is this tattooed softie that just warmed my heart. He has been tackled some hard health issues and he is wants to feel some sense of normalcy but it is very hard. Yes, his family is very supportive but this is something that he has to do by himself. When he meets Anna, the attraction to her gives him something to look forward to.

This book tackles real life issues and if you had read anything by the author you would know that she handles the difficult subject matters very well. All of the characters have something they have to deal with. The author lines up their mates so well. I like that the situation is never pushed aside and magically made better. They still have their trauma and issues. They just learn how to live with it and build a great support system.

Overall, I loved this emotional packed story and I’m glad that Quan got the story he deserved.

~ Samantha

When violinist Anna Sun accidentally achieves career success with a viral YouTube video, she finds herself incapacitated and burned out from her attempts to replicate that moment. And when her longtime boyfriend announces he wants an open relationship before making a final commitment, a hurt and angry Anna decides that if he wants an open relationship, then she does, too.

That’s where tattooed, motorcycle-riding Quan Diep comes in. Their first attempt at a one-night stand fails, as does their second, and their third, because being with Quan is more than sex—he accepts Anna on an unconditional level that she has just started to understand herself.

However, when tragedy strikes Anna’s family she takes on a role that she is ill-suited for, until the burden of family expectations threatens to destroy her. Anna and Quan have to fight for their chance at love, but to do that, they also have to fight for themselves.

This book dealt with some heavy topics, including mental health, toxic family dynamics, racism, and catastrophic illness. It was not your typical light and fluffy romance, and I was OK with that. In the author’s note, Helen Hoang says that this book was the most autobiographical out of all her books. I loved seeing Anna begin to understand and value herself more. Get ready to get sucker-punched in the feels.

This book absolutely broke me, in the best possible way.

This series has become so important to me. I'm not kidding when I say it's changed my life. Needless to say, my expectations for The Heart Principle was high- but it managed to exceed all of them.

The romance, the mental health rep, the characters... I honestly don't know where to start. This book is beautiful, start to finish. I cried so much while reading, but it also was incredibly healing. I can't recommend this book enough.

This novel was 5-star perfect *for me*. There are so many great qualities about it but my favorite is that it pushes a bit against the bounds of the romance genre. Yes, it is a love story and there are sex scenes, just as expected. BUT… there is so much more. There is the representation of Asian American life and autism. There is a depiction of autistic burnout and a struggle with caregiver burnout. Suicidal ideation also occurs. The male lead is dealing with the demons that surface after treatment of cancer. These things give the characters a beautiful complexity. I found both Anna and Quan to be very relatable. The author’s note informs us that this novel is the closest to autobiographical that Hoang has yet written, which added a whole new level of emotion in reading this novel.

I am known to like my books a little on the heavy-side, so I want to acknowledge that this novel might not be for everyone. I did not want to put this one down! Comparisons always seem to be popular so I would say that if you were really into the issues worked through by the characters in Emily Henry’s Beach Read, then I think you won’t mind the mix of heavy and happy found here.

I have loved every book in this series, and THE HEART PRINCIPLE was no exception. Though not a rom-com, this book still brought a major swoon factor while also tackling some bigger issues. Moments of lightness and humor helped break up some of the heaviness, but this is a book that packs a big emotional punch. I absolutely adored Anna and Quan, and seeing their relationship blossom from awkward first encounter to life-saving support made this a hugely rewarding book to read. Grab some tissues (& some cheetos) and prepare to laugh and cry your way through this one.

I love this author and her complex characters, whose personalities and quirks remind me of someone I love on the spectrum. Heart Principle is the third novel in the Kiss Quotient companion contemporary romance series. I laughed, got angry, talked to the characters and lost myself in their story.

Coffee Dates With Heart Principle

First Date: I was so excited to read Heart Principe. I loved the first two novels in this series, from the characters to the situations. I was pulled in the moment we met violinist Anna Sun. I felt for her and saw many characteristics of my son in Anna. I also wanted to throttle her boyfriend. Don’t worry, there isn’t cheating if that disqualifies a romance for you. This is more than a romance, although there are plenty of swoons. It is the story of Anna finding herself, identifying and accepting who she is and letting go of trying to please everyone.

Second Date: Dating Apps weren’t around when I was dating. In fact, I met my husband through my sister. When Anna and her boyfriend take a break, she is mad but her friends encourage her to get back out there. I laughed at her profile and loved the entire met cute between Anna and tattooed, motorcycle-riding Quan Diep. It was honest, sweet and made me fall for Quan. I love how Hoang touches on autism and other issues from family to disfigurement. Her characters are relatable, allowing you to connect and feel for them.

Third Date: The romance was a slow-burn with adorkable moments, fish talk and growth, as the heat built. Events forced our couple apart and had me flipped the pages as the train wreck unfolded. I desperately wanted Anna to shout out and stop those trying to control her life. Her family tried to force their version of normal on her. The drama wasn’t overdone, but got me emotionally involved and forced Anna to find herself. I cried, laughed, swooned, and cheered my way to the last page.

Fans of well-developed diverse characters who are flawed and realistic will love Hoang’s books and the Heart Principle. I loved the topics she addressed while keeping it real and allowing me to become connected.

This is the third book in The Kiss Quotient series, and if you haven't read the first two you really should, they're so good!

Anna Sun is a violinist who goes viral on YouTube, but then finds herself completely burnt out by trying to replicate that success. While she's struggling to understand herself better her stress is compounded when her boyfriend declares that he wants to play the field before settling down. Hurt, angry, and looking to take back some control in her life, Anna decides that if he wants an open relationship he's going to get one. In other words, she's going to have some fun of her own. Enter Quan Diep. He's inked-up, rides and motorcycle, and hotter than sin. Anna thinks she wants a one-night stand, but Quan seems to understand and accept her in ways she doesn't expect.

I always love Hoang's characters so much. They're real and nuanced and I always feel like I really know them. This book will leave you feeling raw and emotional—it's intense but beautiful. There are a lot of serious topics in the book, but they're handled in a way that will rip your heart wide open but also make you want to hug the book when you're done.

Basically, if you haven't got this on your TBR yet, you need to rectify that.

This book was the best book I read this year!

This was the most emotional, raw, realistic, beautiful portrayal of working through insecurities and difficult times, and it’s presented with the most genuine slow burn relationship. It’s literally everything I’ve ever WANTED!!!

This story follows Anna, who is struggling with the pressure of living up to eveyone's expectations, coming to terms with a recent diagnosis of autism, and caregiver burnout while helping her family take care of her father. And Quan, who is struggling with his sense of self, security and confidence after having a brush with cancer.

The story explores how these two characters come to terms with their problems, while finding comfort in each other. It's a beautiful portrayal of how much mental health can impact you as well as the people around you, and also how much we as people are impacted by the people in our lives.

This was so real and personal, it breaks your heart and fills you with hope at the same time. It destroyed me in the very best way. My favorite book of the year, for sure, and definitely my favorite of the kiss quotient series.

Can I first just say: WOW. This book is sweet and sad and steamy and deeply personal. It exposes the deepest parts of both Quan and Anna with such care and vulnerability, showing the reader a depth that is hard to execute well in a book. I felt deeply connected to these characters, like I was holding their hearts in my hands, watching them break and be put back together.

this book is a bit heavier than the other books in The Kiss Quotient series, but it’s worth every page (and tear).

**please read author’s note at the end of the book. I feel like this gave me a fresh perspective and made my heart fall even more for Anna and her journey.

I'd recommend for fans of Life's Too Short, P.S. I Love You, and slow paced romances.
AT A GLANCE…
steam: 🔥🔥🔥/5
genre: romance
⚠️: death of parent, mental illness, suicidal thoughts, cancer, ableism

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2021/08/31/the-heart-principle-by-helen-hoang/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

I have really enjoyed the books by this author in the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/256914-the-kiss-quotient" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>Kiss Quotient</strong> </em></a>series.  I find I am emotionally absorbed with the character's personal issues and growth.   People are going through things and they may not be able to tell you or understand themselves why some things are so difficult.

Anna is a high functioning autistic.  All her life, her sister and parents have pushed her and been angry with her if she has issues with things, for example, crowds or having her hair touched.  So she masks all her feelings, and does and says what she thinks they want to hear.  She also avoids them mostly, since acting is exhausting. I really hate how they treat her and make her feel, many times.

She has recently had a smashing success with a violin solo and somehow that makes it worse.   No one in her family understands or tries to understand.  She takes a leave from the Symphony and starts therapy.  There she discovers she might be autistic and reads about it. She tries to tell her family about it but it doesn't go well.

Her boyfriend of several years, decides he wants to experience more women and have an open relationship before he makes a commitment. So Anna decides to date other people also. Yeah, he's totally a tool and I would punch him if I could.

She meets Quan Diep who runs the clothing business with his cousin, Michael, who we met in <strong>The Kiss Quotient</strong>. For the first time, Anna experiences someone who listens to her and cares enough to  know the real person. I heart Quan from start to finish.  He is so kind and caring.  He really supports Anna in many ways as she grows and deals with some other changes in her life.  He has some of his own issues but thankfully Michael and Stella have his back.

Anna and Quan are such a great couple and I was happy to see them together. I learned about them as they learned about each other.   They may be a bit different than each other, but that gives them new things to learn and discuss, as they are curious about each other's lives and hobbies.  This author never seems to fail in her storytelling about people and their issues and growth in a realistic and inspiring way which fill the heart.

Thank you to @berkleypub and @netgalley for the ARC!

"How much of what people say is genuine and how much is politeness? Is anyone really living life or are we all reading lives from a giant script written by other people?"

Anna is a gifted violinist, a member of a prestigious symphony, and an unlikely star due to a YouTube video of one of her performances that went viral. Her overnight success however, paralyzed her creative efforts. In her need for perfection and to avoid disappointing her new legion of fans, she practices her pieces obsessively, but is never satisfied with the results, never feeling like she can be "good enough" again and be worthy of her new-found fame.

Her family, particularly her older sister, Priscilla, are demanding of her time and attention, wholly unsympathetic to her creative process. Her longtime boyfriend also abruptly announces that he wants an open relationship, leaving Anna feeling more isolated and alone than ever.

Even though its out of her comfort zone, she seeks out a dating app, hoping an one-night stand will level the playing field and distract her from her heartache.

Enter Quan. ( He's a beloved minor character from Hoang's previous novels, The Bride Test and The Kiss Quotient, although it is not necessary to have read them prior to THP). He's everything that her parents would disapprove of with his motorcycle, many tattoos, and rebellious spirit. Their one-night stand keeps getting delayed due to a comedy of errors, but in the meantime a deep intimacy evolves between Quan and Anna, the likes of which Anna has never experienced.

As Anna wrestles with an unexpected diagnosis and a family crisis that tests her on every level, Anna must decide how much longer she is going to let other people's plans and expectations rule her life and if she can find the courage to claim her love for Quan.

This is a deeply powerful story with aching vulnerability and heart. As someone who has a nephew with autism, this resonated for me on so many levels as Hoang explores the facets of the autism spectrum through Anna with integrity and grace.

The novel also explores the dynamics of family and the crushing weight of expectations that can cause us to falter if we don't find the strength to put them down and claim our authentic lives.

The Heart Principle is a powerful novel that will stay with me for some time.

Thank you @prhinternational and Net Galley for the free book.

Since I really loved The Kiss Quotient, I had high expectations for this book, and Helen Hoang didn't disappoint, The Heart Principle really exceeded all of my expectations. I fell in love with her writing again.

I must confess that I'm not a big fan of romance, however this book is much more than that.

In this book we meet Anna and Quan. She is a talented violinist, but she is not in a good moment with her music, also she is struggling with some problems since her boyfriend decides it is a good idea to date other people before they commit to marry each other. Obviously, Anna is not happy with this decision and she joins a dating service to meet other people too. Quan, who we have known in earlier books, has his own struggles too, he is recovering from a cancer battle and also we will discover that he has other insecurities related to it.

Although they start their relationship with the idea of one-night stand, soon they'll realize that they are genuinely attracted to each other and their relationship will escalate into something else.

I can't tell which character I loved the most, both Quan and Anna are adorable and their chemistry is perfect, they made a wonderful couple.

Anna is very sweet and although she is going through so much, she is strong and I love that. Quan is very thoughtful and kind which make him perfect for Anna.

Besides these lovely characters, the book also explores many sensitive issues such as anxiety, family issues, autism, and cancer and Hoang manages to touch these topics really well.

I can't say too much because spoilers, but I can tell you need to read this book and fall in love with it. I'm looking forward to more from Hoang in the future.

After going viral on YouTube, violinist Anna Sun finds herself stuck trying to recreate her success. Things get even worse when her longtime boyfriend insists on opening up their relationship before making a commitment. Anna decides to set off on a series of one-night stands herself. That is, until she finds she can’t walk away from her first one-night stand with Quan Diep.

Okay so I loved Helen Hoang's first two books, but I LOVED LOVED LOVED The Heart Principle even more! This is a romance novel, but it's also a story of a woman coming to terms with receiving an autism diagnosis after reaching adulthood and learning to recognize her own needs and desires. It's incredibly powerful, vulnerable, thoughtful, and still a delightfully charming love story. I can't get enough of Anna and Quan!

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I was hoping that NetGalley would get this book as I loved the other books written by author Hoang. I did get the audio and have two different people voice the main characters was great. I will say there should be a trigger warning for those with anxiety and autism. I found that some of the anxiety that Anna went through started my mind whirling and I had to take a break. Some parts were really hard to get through but it was a great book.

4.5 'No more masking' Stars!
ARC provided by the the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I seriously love Helen Hoang. Not kidding. Like I fell in love at first read after The Kiss Quotient and many of us have been waiting for this very moment for what seems quite a long time. Quan's story is finally here and my heart can't take it! I knew Helen would give him a unique and wonderful love story and she did not disappoint. AT ALL. It was heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time, it was sweet and sexy and it has a whole lot of feels. Trust me when I say you don't want to miss this!

So, The Heart Principle is Helen's third novel and also the third installment in her The Kiss Quotient series. We met Quan in the first book, he is Michael's cousin and best friend, who also takes care of the behind the scenes side of the fashion business he has with Michael. But Quan has had a life changing experience and he is not feeling himself anymore. Enter Anna Sun. She is a super talented violinist who happens to feel trapped in her life and she is always trying to make everyone happy. Except her. That starts to change when she truly discovers herself and when she starts seeing Quan. Life is about to change for these two and a beautiful love story will flourish.

You’re a big deal—to me. You’re amazing—to me.
This yearning for her, this craving, it’s sunk so deep into me that it’s part of me now. This is how Quan is now. He’s crazy about this one girl.

You probably already know that Helen's stories are special and out of the ordinary. All of them revolve around the autism spectrum and real life experiences. The Heart Principle is no exception and that is part of what makes this novel (and the other two in the series) so unique. Quan and Anna are such wonderful characters. They have their ups and downs, they have to deal with very difficult moments in their lives, they are a bit broken for different personal reasons and together they heal. Neither expected the connection that sparks between them from the very first message. Neither expected their "one-night" stand to become so much more. Neither expected to find true love and happiness. It was just so beautiful to see this couple leaning on each other, giving each other strength and falling in love. Their chemistry was sugary sweet and slow burning and it was so explosive when they finally acted on it. Two very different people found solace and true happiness together and it made my heart melt all over.

“You’ve been my bright spot. You’ve pulled me through. The only good thing this broken heart of mine can feel is love for you.”

Therefore, I am rating The Heart Principle with 4.5 STARS because Helen Hoang gave us another unique love story that I am sure many will love. She definitely delivered for the ones that have been impatiently anticipating it and it was such an amazing novel from start to finish. I loved Quan and Anna. I loved them as individuals, I loved their growth as characters, I loved how they learn to love themselves as they are and how they fall madly in love with each other. Trust me when I say, you have to start this series if you haven't because it's absolutely worth it. Highly, highly recommend!

The Heart Principle is so much more than a contemporary romance. It tackles caregiving, burnout, cancer, depression, end of life care, and family dynamics. It also gives us the incredible protagonist, Anna, an Asian American violinist with autism who is trying to navigate life. This one will give you all the feels.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for the electronic advanced copy.

I received a gifted galley of THE HEART PRINCIPLE by Helen Hoang for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

THE HEART PRINCIPLE follows Anna and Quan. Anna is a violinist who achieved internet fame and is now struggling to even play a note. She is constantly caught up in the quest to be good enough, but knows she never can be. Meanwhile her boyfriend has decided that he wants to have an open relationship so he can see (sleep with) other women. With this new freedom, Anna meets Quan for a one night stand, but it doesn’t go as planned. Instead of one night, the pair slowly get to know each other. Each is dealing with struggles in their lives and grow to rely on the other more and more as the weight of additional struggles pile on.

This book was definitely not what I expected when I picked it up – it is much more of a heartbreaker than a cheerful romance. I did enjoy the way that Anna and Quan became friends before they became more to each other and appreciated their relationship.

What this book really excels at is delving into serious issues of autistic burnout, family pressures especially around mental health and diagnoses, autistic burnout, depression and suicidal thoughts, end of life care and decisions, caregiver burnout, and more. The author’s note at the end explains that this novel was particularly close to home and that understanding and first hand experience comes through on the page. It definitely is a book to enter into in the right frame of mind, though, as a lot of this content could be potentially triggering.

This is an emotional read and one I did very much appreciate! THE HEART PRINCIPLE is available now!

I meannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn....

I've been wanting Quan's story for so long, and the wait was SO WORTH IT. I loved Quan's story. Anna and Quan were adorable, the romance was literally everything I've needed lately (especially as I've only been able to read romance recently, lol).

The Heart principle brought me so much joy and I hope it brings you some, too!