This was my first book by this author and I went in pretty unaware. Truthfully it took me a little while to get into it but when I finally did, I flew through it. The characters experiences were explained in an obviously very personal way and I really enjoyed getting to know both of the main characters. Anna’s sister however, *side eyes*.

the heart principle
5 🌟
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IF YOU LIKE: the kiss quotient, the bride test, act your age, eve brown
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PLOT: swipe ⬅️
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YALLLLLLLLL. I’ve been waiting for this book for ages and IT LIVED UP to my expectations SO HARD!!
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LIKES:
📝 personal, relatable writing
👥 multi-pov (Anna & Quan)
🧩 ASD representation (complex & so well done!)
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 explores family dynamics & crises
🇨🇳 + Anna’s chinese-American experience
🛏 one-night stand trope
🏍 + a bad boy w/ a tender heart!!
🔥 slow burn romance
🥵 5/5 steam (and the good kind 👀)
❤️ lots of sweet romantic moments
♀+ feminist themes re: female ownership of intimacy
🌱 themes of growth
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DISCLAIMERS:
⚠️ dm me for trigger warnings
🌶 may be too spicy for some
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VERDICT: full of romance & spice with MAJOR depth in exploring ASD, family dynamics, the female Chinese-American experience, & women’s struggle with owning themselves intimately - a MUST READ for honestly all women!

REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang

Anna Sung's violinist career takes a turn when a video of her goes viral, and she finds herself burned out from her attempts at replicating that moment, the perfectness of it. When her boyfriend wishes to open-up their relationship before making a life-long commitment, hurt and anger leads her on a one-night stand mission. That's when she meets Quan Diep, their attempts at remaining a one-night stand fails miserably over and over again, because being together is more than sex. However, when tragedy strikes, Anna takes on a role in her family that slowly destroys her. They must keep fighting for their love and for themselves through hardship and pyjama shark-filled waters.

CW: Anxiety, panic attack, depression, autism, masking, ableism, autistic burnout, cancer (remission), sterility, suicidal ideation, severe (non-cancer illness of a family member), caretaking burnout, death of a family member, toxic family relationship, classism, unnecessarily putting oneself in danger, overexertion as coping mechanism.

This book completely wrecked me, in the best and most awful ways possible, and I loved every moment of it. I would like to talk about how incredibly beautiful Hoang's writing is. I loved how personal and delicate the story telling felt. I loved how intricate all the characters were, even smaller characters had purpose and deeper meaning. I loved how in this book, Hoang changed the narrating style from 3rd person to first. This choice was perfect for this couple, how close we felt to them while going through their struggles was enhanced even more because of this choice. From the author's words, this book is part memoir and Helen wrote a masterpiece. Such a vulnerable tale that has incredibly moving and heavy themes interwoven so expertly within the core love story. I loved how in the end, taking a step back from my own tears and heartbreak from this book I can see how completely perfect they are for each other. You might not expect it from what we knew about Quan, but they are. Their struggles emerging from the same toxic society expectations: the gendered roles they are meant to be stuck in. Anna's role as caregiver, wife, submissive, and her family's expectation that she would adopt allistic characteristic to mask her true self, and many more. Quan's role as a money-maker and provider, as a fertile male, etc.

I loved how Anna and Quan's love story's timing was all wrong, but also so perfectly right. How they were exactly what the other needed. Even in their failings, they were perfect for each other. Even in their heartbreaks, their love brought them back together. Their love for each other, and also through their self-discovering journey, their love and respect for themselves. I love how by the end of the book, nothing is wrapped in a perfect bow, I love how the only certainty we are left with is their love. Every other conflict isn't magically resolved by the end, it brings so much value to their triumph in adversity. Adversity is overwhelming in their story; It brings them together but it also tears them apart. I love how they both see the hardships the other had to overcome, and cherishes them for it. Quan.. What can I say? He is marvelous. His kindness, his strength, how delicate he is with Anna, not delicate in a way to convey superiority but in a caring way that allows her to grow, and cherish that growth. I loved how considerate he was, for every person that came his way, from the children he taught martial art to, to his admiration for quirkiness in the people he loves. His relationship with Michael was so heartwarming, I loved how much love and support hey have for each other, but also how healthy that relationship is. I loved how perceptive he was, how he paid attention and noticed details people usually pass and stomp over. Anna, sweet and so strong Anna. I want to punch every single person that brought her harm, especially her sister. It was so hard to read how she endured so much emotional abuse during her life, her sister only hiding behind this tough-love crap, trying to mold her into a person that would be easier for her to love. I'm still so angry. But also so freaking proud of Anna, building boundaries around herself and Quan, protecting them from further harm. I feel like Anna herself didn't see how strong she was. I loved how courageous of her it was so see the struggle her father was going through, even if at this point in her own journey she was profoundly burned-out. I loved her growth so much. She goes through so much in this book, and in the end, I love how kind she finally is to herself, but how it's also a purposeful kindness. One that is not instinctual, but that she is actively working towards.

Now, the steam. You all know how I love truly intimate scenes in romance, and this one did not disappoint in the slightest. I was so pleased with their sexual relationship. How they had to work at it, but also how it deviated from the usual penetration-centric hetero sex. I loved how they were both focused on the other's pleasure, that communication is hard, but also earned through intimacy, patience and most of all trust. I love when sex scenes can't be interchangeable, and this one is so deeply personal to Anna and Quan, to their story and to the adversity and challenges they go through as the book progresses.

To conclude, I had to read this book twice, be able to process all the precious words that made it into this final manuscript. The author crafted a wonderful book that will stay with me for forever. It is going straight to my all time favourites shelf.

Thank you @Berkley for gifting me a digital advanced reader's copy via @netgalley . As always all thoughts and opinions are and will be honest and my own.

📚Pub Day/Book Review📚

Here @hhoangwrites goes! Breaking my heart with this new release The Heart Principle! Thank you to @berkleyromance for this #free book.

📜The Info📜

Genre: Romance
Synopsis: Swipe left/Goodreads

💭Review💭

A book that I didn't think would be heavy and break my heart, was heavy and broke my heart. Heart Principle is, by far, my favorite of this series and the most powerful in messaging.

This book is about two main characters who were lovable but complex and insecure in different ways. I love how these characters, throughout the whole novel, lift one another up and focus on one another's strengths. They constantly build each other up and accept the complexities of each other and there is an unwavering love and support there.

This book is about ableist mentality and how it effects others. It’s toxic. Period and you never have to accept it.

This book is about the importance of boundaries and how you don’t have to accept people in your lives if they keep breaking yours…no matter no they are.

This book is about falling in love when you feel less than deserving.

This book is about care-taking and the stress illustrated was raw and honest.

This book is about accepting yourself.

This book is about grief. I usually get the beginning and a fast forward to the happily ever after. This book? This book is different. I ​love how the author does not skimp on grief. She allows the grief to be real and extended in a way I have never seen in a romance.

There's generational trauma, racism, misconceptions and so much more...but what was my favorite part?

This book is about having compassion. Having compassion for others and HAVING COMPASSION FOR YOURSELF!

I absolutely adored everything about this book and would definitely recommend it!

PS the main man Quan is totally a BOOK BOYFRIEND

TW: ableist, grief and loss, loss of parent

I thought this book was the darkest of the series, but I still really enjoyed it. Helen Hoang is a master of romances that tug at your heartstrings while still being steamy and swoony!

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for access to this arc.

I remember that after reading Helen Hoang’s last book we learned it would be a longer than usual wait for this book. I was disappointed because I’d really enjoyed The Bride Test and wanted to read Quan’s story but I just thank her for this book, for taking care of herself, and for not pushing to deliver more than she felt able to do.

There are a lot of issues melded into this book, some of which might be difficult for some readers. I hope that people read the trigger warnings and be sure they’re ready to face them. I also feel that in my opinion, this is more a women’s fiction book albeit one with strong romantic threads. There is a lot of the book told from Quan’s POV but for me, the book still focused more on Anna. There have been a lot of books released in the past year or two that I felt needed either a different blurb or a different cover so that readers would know more of what to expect from them. I don’t think mismatching does a book any favors.

Anna is a complex person. She’s intelligent, driven, and deeply unhappy. She’s spent a lifetime trying to be what other people want and expect her to be. Strong family expectations have shaped her – bent her, might be a better way to say it – and now crushed under the weight of her expectations of perfection, she’s finally sought therapy. She doesn’t think she’s getting much from it and exhausts herself further trying to say what she thinks the therapist wants to hear. Her boyfriend is a shit even though her family thinks he’s wonderful. But his desire to avoid “FOMO” before settling down with Anna inadvertently brings Quan into her life. So yay that.

Quan might not have been in The Bride Test much (and I still haven’t read The Kiss Quotient) but I liked what I read about him there. Since then he’s faced down his own demons and survived. Still he has both physical and emotional scars from the battle. I felt like I needed just a bit more about him showing the physical scars to Anna. It’s built up and built up then seemed to be quickly rushed past when it happened.

Sex and physical intimacy are a big part of the story. Anna doesn’t feel that sex with her asshat boyfriend is any great shakes while Quan worries about how women will view his body now. For both of them, a one-night stand makes sense to me. Since Anna hasn’t ever done anything like this before, giving her another reason to do it beyond just to show her fuckwit boyfriend she can helped me accept that she’d do something like this.

Speaking more about Quan – he ended up coming across as a Perfect Boyfriend. At first, no matter what Anna did (e.g. dodging into the bathroom on their first “date”) Quan was okay with giving her another chance, carefully talking to her, not rushing her physically, affirming her – yeah, it’s great to read this but how realistic is it that one guy is this forgiving? It’s like he’s her therapist. And then he’s about the only character to “get” her and “see” her. So despite Anna mentally wailing “Why can’t Quan just know what I need sexually?” Quan is written to read her like a book in every other aspect.

I don’t remember reading a book that shows and discusses caregiver burnout. But given the number of people who are or might eventually be faced with this, I was glad to see it. Ditto the fact that it as well as mental health issues can lead to suicidal ideation.

One thing that struck me positively is how Anna doesn’t realize she is on the autism spectrum because her symptoms aren’t like Sheldon’s in “The Big Bang Theory.” Not everyone’s symptoms are the same and having that shown is great. It’s kind of like how people expect all heart attack symptoms to be the same and risk not seeking help because they don’t feel they’re having an attack. Once Anna realizes that this is a possibility, her world is changed. She feels validated and known. “I get to be the expert on me.”

The representation of Asian characters and culture is strong in this book. Quan’s family is Vietnamese American, Anna’s is Chinese American, and both are the children of first-generation immigrants. There’s a discussion of second-gen immigrants’ struggles with their older generations’ languages and also “Not the right Asian” included as Anna’s mother isn’t wild about Quan’s tattoos or the fact that he is of Vietnamese descent. Oh and Anna’s statement that Quan is the only Asian she knows who actually practices martial arts cracked me up.

Then there’s the complicated relationship Anna has with her awful older sister. Early in the book, Anna recalls something her sister did to her when Anna didn’t add the “older sister” je when addressing Priscilla and I thought “I don’t think I’m going to like this character.” Priscilla is very much like an Asian stereotype of hard work, top schools, and outward perfection. She’s also horrid to Anna and I had a quick thought that she needed to be dropped in a shark tank.

When Anna and Quan finally reach their breakthrough moments, these are extremely dramatic. In the last section of the book - whoa – lots of glossing over of Anna’s problems, lots of Quan not being there except to prop her up, lots of deep shit for Anna to plow through before ta-da! The End. I'm glad I went into the book knowing that it's more women's fiction than romance. B-

This was nothing short of an amazing read and I enjoyed it from beginning to end. Anna and Quan was magical and this was definitely unexpected. This surpasses all my expectations that I thought this book would offer. It was raw, real and relatable in ways that I can’t even explain. Hoang has definitely delivered us another masterpiece and I’m excited about what’s next.

Really good book. I liked that both characters had their own issues (rather than trainwreck girl/perfect boyfriend). And representation of neurodiversity and medical issues was good to see. One or two sex scenes are detailed and might make me hesitate to recommend to some library borrowers, but I will probably purchase.

TW: detailed hospice care and death of a loved one; brief suicidal ideation; verbally abusive family

The first 75% of this book was headed for 5 stars. I enjoyed the dynamics between Anna and Quan a lot, as well as the depictions of their individual lives. But the last 25% had really odd pacing and was very disjointed. There were a lot of things brought in last minute and not given enough time, and it felt very rushed and forced. Overall still enjoyable but not cohesive enough to make it a 5 stars for me.

Ari: Nick and I are teaming up once again to co-write a review (thanks bestie for letting me grace your blog again!) and the book of choice is Helen Hoang’s newest release, The Heart Principle. If you were a follower of my blog, then you know how much of a fan I was of both The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test, so to say I was excited to get my hands on The Heart Principle would be an understatement. I’m pretty sure I stalked Netgalley for weeks after Nick got her ARC to make sure I didn’t miss it.

But now that I’ve finished The Heart Principle, all that excitement has faded away as I struggle to find the words to describe exactly how I feel about this book. Since my thoughts are all over the place, I thought it would be best to divide this review into three parts, mirroring the format this story is told. I also want to warn that THERE WILL BE MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD because I don’t think neither I nor Nick can truly elaborate our thoughts without mentioning a few spoilery scenes. Let’s get this review started, y’all!

Nick: This review is going to be incredibly hard for me to write, so I'm grateful that I get to do this with my brain twin. Like Ari, I’ve been a big champion of Helen Hoang’s books - literally, parts of my blog were inspired by The Kiss Quotient. It physically pains me to even rate a book by Helen less than 4 stars, but here we are.

You may be interested in my reviews of The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test.

I acknowledge that The Heart Principle was written during a very difficult time in Helen’s life, as mentioned in the author’s note. Both Ari and I feel deeply for her and we sincerely hope that she is on the mend with her mental, physical, and emotional health and that writing this book was the cathartic experience she needed. That being said, because Hoang mentions this book being a semi-memoir in the author's note, I feel it’s important to emphasize that our thoughts on this book are not a reflection of our thoughts on Helen Hoang. Our thoughts are based solely on the content of the book and our reaction to the content (as is the case for all our reviews). As such, we both entered and viewed The Heart Principle as a piece of fiction and nothing more.

PART I: THE BEGINNING

Ari: As stated before, The Heart Principle is told in three parts: Before, During, and After. These periods of time all center around a tragedy that will eventually become the main focus of the story. In the Before, we are introduced to Anna Sun, a violinist who is struggling to get back into her musical groove after achieving internet fame through a viral video. It certainly doesn’t help that things aren’t going so well in her personal life either, especially after her boyfriend decides that they should have an open relationship to see other people before committing to one another. Frustrated and overwhelmed, Anna decides to sign up for a dating app in hopes of finding a one-night stand to satisfy her needs. Enter Quan Diep, co-owner of an apparel company and part-time kendo instructor. Like Anna, Quan too is dipping his toes back into the dating scene and believes that a one-night stand will help ease him back into it. But things don’t go according to plan and a one-night stand turns into one-to-many-night stands. While trying to juggle a potential new relationship and her musical burnout, Anna learns that she might be on the autism spectrum—an unexpected diagnosis that may be the key to a new beginning.

The first thing that stuck out to me with this installment was the fact that this book is written in first person while the previous two books are written in third person. Just the switch of POVs alone gave The Heart Principle a more serious tone, indicating that this book was definitely not going to be like the others. With that being said, the Before period is probably the most light-hearted part of this book and honestly my favorite part. If I could stay in this part of the book forever, I would because I just found the development of Anna and Quan’s relationship to be so cute and awkward and sweet and I was LIVING for it! I was completely invested, not only in Anna and Quan’s relationship but also with Anna coming to terms with her ASD diagnosis and seeing how it would change her outlook on life. I kind of expected to see Anna work through some of her roadblocks with Quan, especially since his brother is on the spectrum as well. But that was not the case here and as Part I came to a close, so did the romance as the focus shifted from Quan and Anna to just Anna alone.

Nick: Part 1 of The Heart Principle was also my favorite part of the book because it was reminiscent of the softer The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test and as Ari said, it's the only section that's centered more on the romance. It was all about Anna and Quan exploring a situationship and discovering that they may mean more to each other than they thought. It’s sweet, wholesome, and just so pure. I especially liked the adorable moments when Anna and Quan bonded over wildlife documentaries. This was also the only time Anna and Quan seemed to have alone time away from the punishing outside world, without the direct influence of Anna’s family.

I personally did not notice the switch from third-person to first-person writing here until I went and read the excerpt that’s still up on Entertainment Weekly. The excerpt is in third-person and promises an entirely different story than the final product of The Heart Principle, meaning it was re-written, but for some godforsaken reason, the publisher kept the same cover.

PART II: THE DURING

Ari: In the During is where tragedy strikes. I feel like everyone is going to react to Part II in their own way—for me, it was a combination of wanting to set shit on fire and angry crying because of how frustrated I had become with all the secondary characters. Listen, I know what Anna and her family were going through was not easy and emotions were running high for everyone, but respectfully, Anna’s mama and her older sister, Priscilla, can choke. The same goes for the boyfriend! These secondary characters are gross and insensitive and unredeemable in my eyes. I hated how they treated Anna and didn’t take her concerns seriously when she voiced them. Multiple times throughout this book, Anna tried to talk to her mother and her sister about possibly being autistic and they shut her down, time and time again. They made her feel like everything was all in her head, that her failures and struggles were of her own doing and that she needed to grow up and get over it. It’s not an easy thing to read about if I’m being honest. Nick previously noted that Hoang mentions in her author note that this installment is “half memoir” and that is very much a true statement. I vividly remember one particular scene towards the end, where Anna and her sister, Priscilla, are having a heated argument, and I remember messaging Nick and telling her that this scene made me uncomfortable. It felt too personal like I was witnessing a conversation that I had no right to be witnessing. This jump from being romantic fiction to semi-autobiographical is not one I was prepared for and it creates a disconnect while reading this story, which is probably why I’m still on the fence when it comes to my feelings about this book.

Now, you’re probably wondering where Quan was in the midst of all this tension. I was wondering the same thing too for most of Part II because Quan is basically tossed aside like a secondhand LV Speedy 30. Like literally, even Louis Vuitton the company was screwing him over in this book. My man was catching no breaks! This is so not the story I had expected for Quan. I was expecting a whole damn buffet, but my man was being fed crumbs. Quan was being put second when it came to his relationship with Anna and when it came to career advancements. He was getting screwed over, unfairly so. And as much as I empathize with Anna’s circumstances, I can’t help but question why she was never able to say no to her family and the boyfriend, but she had no problem saying no to Quan.

Nick: As Ari said, everyone is going to react to this part of the book in a different way, and judging from the current reviews on Goodreads, Ari and I are in the minority. Starting part 2 is when I really (and I mean REALLY) started to dislike the book. Listen, I love a good grief storyline in a romance book. All of you who follow this blog know how trash I am for angst, external or internal, in romance. However, The Heart Principle reads like trauma porn. It’s overwhelming because SO MANY bad things (Please refer to the content-notes below to see what I’m talking about) happen to Anna and to some extent, Quan, but mostly Anna. To me as a reader, it was depressing to read. I get it. Life can be messy. Life can be sad. No one’s life is perfect and some people do suffer as much as Anna does in this book, but that does not mean I want to read that in the fictional content I read, especially not in this wretched pandemic. I don’t need passages after passages after passages of a character having to change her bed-ridden, non-communicative elderly father’s diapers when she knows that he wants to peacefully pass away, but she’s unable to grant his wishes because she’s incapable of standing up to her controlling sister. I may get stoned for saying this but because there’s so much going on in Anna’s life, I also don’t feel like any of Anna’s issues were written with many nuances. There’s just not enough time in the 300-something pages of the book to fully explore everything the author brings on Anna’s head. I think if Helen Hoang had focused on one or two of the issues, this could have been a tighter story for me. This entire section of the book felt stagnant, repetitive, and miserable. I will say, if you enjoy Colleen Hoover’s brand of grief, which I certainly don't, you might have better luck with this book.

I’m not even going to say any more about Anna’s family because Ari has already said everything that can be possibly said. Frankly, they don’t deserve my time and attention. What can I say about Quan that Ari hasn't said? The man was an angel and I would worship the ground he walked on. I didn't mind Anna as a love interest for him, and we saw in Part I how they could, in fact, be good for each other. But after Anna's treatment of him in one scene towards the end of Part II, I thought he deserved much better. I don't know about you all but I don't want one of my favorite characters to be treated as a secret side-piece, like something to be ashamed of. He cared so much for her and was willing to silently wait for her on the sidelines, and then she just tosses that all away because she does not know how to say no.

In a slight switch off topics, I want to bring up a controversial point surrounding the book: is this a romance? It’s complicated, but I would personally argue no. It has the guiding principle of a romance, i.e. it ends in a happily-ever-after, but I expect my romance books to be about the couple, so I want to see the couple together for the majority of the book. The Heart Principle is not about Anna AND Quan, it’s about Anna. When the love interest is pretty much absent for a major portion of the storyline, that’s not a romance to me.

PART III: THE AFTER

Ari: The After takes place in the last ten percent of the book and while I would like to say that the final part provided the happily-ever-after I was hoping for, sadly it did not. Part III was all about tying up loose ends and smoothing out rough edges. We see Anna mourning while also seeing her and Quan reconcile their relationship, but again that romance really isn’t there. That sense of healing is not there. It’s not felt. It was more of a going through the motions type of scenario. And you would think that not much can happen in the last ten percent of the book to keep my frustration going, but folks you would be wrong. Anna’s mom continues to blame Anna for causing trouble in the family and then has the audacity to brush off Anna’s ASD because surprise, surprise autism apparently runs in the family. That whole scene just reaffirmed my belief that these secondary characters are trash and they can go to hell. Anna deserved better. Quan deserved better. This romance deserved better. I’m pretty much just gonna stay in the Before and ignore all the rest. That’s all I really have left to say.

Nick: Yep. Agreed. The After section is sloppy and ultimately, unsatisfying. It’s not because Anna does not resolve any of her issues. Let’s be honest, that would have made the book too unrealistic given the relatively short timeline between part II and part III, and unlike Kirkus, I don't believe a character needs to be fully recovered and healed for their HEA to be believable. It’s because Hoang goes through smoothing everything so abruptly, it almost feels like she was going through a checklist, trying to get this book over with. Though I don't expect my characters to have all their issues magically cured by the presence of their love interest in their lives, I would have liked to see Anna make at least the teeniest of steps towards learning to speak up for herself around her mother and sister. Instead, everything is sort of just glossed over?

Even in this last part here when we see the romance re-introduced and Anna is trying to mend her broken relationship with Quan, I felt the chemistry between the two had just disappeared. The romance felt clinical and forced. I don’t want to leave a romance book feeling like I would be okay with the couple not ending up together. Sadly, I left The Heart Principle feeling that way. As a reader and fan of the series, I don’t think this was the story Quan deserved. And let’s be honest, I read this book for Quan and expected his love story. It’s interesting to me because both of the previous books managed to balance the individual stories of the two protagonists well, but here it is entirely dominated by Anna and sadly, it wasn’t pleasant for me.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Ari: After finishing The Heart Principle, Nick posed a question and I keep coming back to it every time I think of this book: “If The Heart Principle was written as a stand-alone, completely separate from The Kiss Quotient world, without Quan as the hero and was marketed as women’s fiction instead, would you have enjoyed this book?”. My answer each and every time will be no. No, because quite frankly, Anna deserved better! No, because the end doesn’t justify the means. No, because I have no interest in reading semi-autobiographical fiction. It’s just not for me.

Something I also want to briefly address is the marketing for this book. When The Heart Principle was announced, it was promoted as a rom-com. If it wasn’t for the disclaimer that was provided with the ARC, I wouldn’t have known that The Heart Principle we were originally promised was not the one that we were getting. It makes me wonder if the average consumer will be provided the same courtesy because this book most definitely needs it. 

Nick: You know, when I first finished this book when I got the ARC, I was left confused by my reaction to this book. I wasn’t sure what I was going to rate it, which is unusual for me, and a part of me felt bad for not loving the book. Let me tell you why. Between the marketing letter and the author’s note, The Heart Principle also managed to pile a heaping of guilt on my head for not loving the book. I’m not going to post an excerpt of the author’s note, but if you didn’t love the book, it’s impossible to read the author’s note after the last chapter and not be made to feel like a piece of shit with no empathy. I don’t think this was done intentionally, by the way, but that’s just how I felt with its placement. Now that I’ve written this review and talked it out with Ari, I do feel a lot more confident in my rating and I firmly believe that this book should have been separate from The Kiss Quotient world and should have been released with a new cover.

I’ll still read whatever Helen Hoang writes next because I’m not one to abandon an author after a single book that didn’t work for me, especially not one as talented as Helen Hoang. However, I really do hope, for selfish reasons, that she’ll go back to writing more romance-centered stories like The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test.

Content notes: Anxiety, panic attack, depression, autism, masking, ableism, cancer, sterility, suicidal ideation, severe (non-cancer) illness of a family member, caretaking, burnout, death of a family member, toxic family relationship, classism, unnecessarily putting oneself in danger, overexertion as coping mechanism, gaslighting, on-page sex, 

Relationship disclosure: Helen Hoang and Nick are mutuals on social media

The Heart Principle is Helen Hoang’s most personal and emotionally moving book to date. The reader follows along in this semi-autobiographical account through Anna’s journey of her autism diagnosis alongside managing a parental illness, grief, and the expectations placed upon her by her family and the world. Quan is learning how to navigate his life and his relationship to his body beyond his own healthcare-related trauma. Quan and Anna’s stories intertwine as their love for each other slowly grows into something beautiful.

Reading The Heart Principle was deeply personal because similarly to Anna, I am also a twenty-something Asian American learning to navigate my family’s expectations of myself in addition to feeling like a complete and utter failure who cannot move past my diminished self-worth.
In that vein, Anna is figuring out who she is behind the mask that she’s spent her entire life curating to make those around her happy at the detriment of her own being.

Quan is everything. I love him. He’s a dork wrapped up in badass ocean tattoos. Once a confident, carefree man who was comfortable in his body and sexuality, this story picks up a couple of years after his medical trauma. He decides that he’s ready to take on new opportunities in his work life and reconfigure his internal sense of being enough.

Before they can grow together, they have to grow individually. Between learning to say no and standing up for themselves as well as rebuilding one’s self perception while testing the limits of one’s body, Anna and Quan must find out if and how they fit into each other’s lives.

Also, I’d specifically like to shout out Helen Hoang’s dedication for this book to all the caregivers, particularly the medical professionals during this Covid-19 Pandemic. The dedication alone had me openly weeping before starting to read the actual story.

This book was *sigh* p h e n o m e n a l. You know those books you finish and then just sit there contemplating what to do with your life? I didn’t want The Heart Principle to end. So much so that I actually read the author’s note and acknowledgements. I never do that. But I just wasn’t ready to let go.

You can tell just how much Hoang loves these characters. They are so complex, well thought out, relatable, loveable, ALL THE ADJECTIVES! Anna is coming out of a long-term relationship and decides to see if the one night stand scene is for her. Quan is facing his own personal changes and happens to match with Anna. Though they are truly awful at the one night hook up, watching their relationship develop was a beautiful journey. Don’t let that fool you, there is so much healing and personal growth that happens along the way.

Anna, in particular, goes through so much as the story unfolds. I wouldn’t want to spoil anything but there was so much of her story that resonated deeply with me. Her struggles with her family, discovering herself through therapy, and the big event towards the end of the book – it all struck a chord and I just adore Anna’s character.

I can’t wait to pick up more of Hoang’s work. The Heart Principle was absolutely excellent.

I have enjoyed all of Helen Hoang's books, and appreciate what she was trying to achieve in "The Heart Principle." Her author's note in particular adds extra insight into this book's background. "The Heart Principle" is very different than "The Kiss Quotient" or "The Bride Test," but follows the same previous formula that didn't work as well this time. The book is centered around Anna and Quan, but to me, this was Anna's story, and the romance and relationship with Quan was secondary to her journey. As a result, the chapters from Quan's point of view and the sex scenes felt out of place and didn't fit with the rest of the story. Anna is dealing with a lot of difficult personal issues, and all of that was really well done. I loved the character of Anna and her efforts to love and understand herself, and demand that love and understanding from others. Her relationship with her family is a huge part of the book, but they're only introduced halfway through. Her dad's illness is a major part of the second half of the book, but this plotline felt a little underdeveloped because we are dropped into the family dynamics. Overall, "The Heart Principle" is worth reading and I'm glad that I did, but it's trying too many things, not all of them successful.

The Heart Principle was absolutely worth the wait. Getting to know Quan after seeing pieces of him in the other two Kiss Quotient novels absolutely surprised me; he was so much more than I expected. He was in the perfect place to love and be loved by Anna. The amount of personal experience, heart and soul Helen poured into Anna's character was moving and amazing; I don't know that I'll ever come across another character who is like her again.

This book is tough. There is romance and there are happy moments, but especially when it comes to Anna and her journey towards her Autism spectrum diagnosis, her family and her caretaker role, there was really just a lot to unpack and go through. Quan was also in a mode of discovery and experienced some growth and self-doubt, but this was really Anna's story and I'm so glad Helen took the time to write it and tell it write.

Each book in this series is so different (and can absolutely be read as a standalone) and also so perfect for their purposes. I can't wait to see what Helen does next.

This was my first book from Helen Hoang and to say I was impressed would be an understatement! I went in blind, thought it was a romcom, but nope! It was a love story between Anna and Quan yes, but it was also about loving and accepting oneself — flaws and all; letting go of toxic people (even relatives) in one’s life; about family duties and responsibilities; and, caring for other people whether by choice or otherwise. This book was an intense read and packed so much punch that I ended up battered emotionally and mentally. I felt Anna’s frustrations at having to live up to her family’s expectations and coming up short, of feeling unseen and unheard and yet needing to keep up to please everybody. I ached for her when she experienced caregiver burden and then feeling guilty about it. I was extremely annoyed at her sister for failing to understand Anna and denying her autism spectrum diagnosis! There were so many relevant issues that were included in the story and I haven’t even gotten to Quan’s part yet, who by the way, is the perfect book boyfriend ever!!!! I could go on and on but I’d never finish! Needless to say, this was a heavy yet wonderfully written book. I’m not sure if it’s for everybody but I think it is an important read, especially for people needing reminders that it is OK to be NOT PERFECT and it is OK to let go of people making your life miserable. Aaaand, caregiver burden is REAL y’all!!!! I love the overall message(s) of this book and I commend the author for writing such a beautiful and heartfelt story.

Anna Sun became a famous violinist after a viral video that parlayed into a job with San Francisco symphony. Now burned out and desperately trying to get her groove back, Anna is dealt another blow when her long time boyfriend, Julian, declares while he may feel the she is "the one," he wants to explore his options first with other women. Anna decides two can play at that game even though she is painfully shy and has a myriad of issues when it comes to dealing with people. As usual these days, it is to a dating App she goes with the intention of one-night stands with totally inappropriate men, according to her family standards.

Quan Diep the same idea in mind. Generally, Quan has no trouble with the ladies; however, a serious surgery and recovery left him feeling self-conscious and vulnerable about his body. Although covered in tattoos with a closely shaved head, motorcycle riding Quan seems just the ticket for Anna’s rebellion; however, things do not go according to plan for either one of them. After a first attempt and then several others, Anna and Quan realize that neither is quite ready despite their obvious attractions to one another.

When things finally start to click for them, Anna has a major family crisis that threatens not only her mental and physical health, but the budding relationship with Quan. Anna’s family dynamic is that her parents, older sister, and other close relatives pretty much tell Anna what she should and should not do despite her adult age. None of them are very impressed with Quan although he is determined to win them over. Anna and Quan’s nascent relationship gets thrown in to the deep end quickly where it may very well drown.

Third in the Kiss Quotient series, this book once again looks deeply into what life is like for those on the Autism spectrum or neurally diverse. In many places, it is a hard book to read because of Anna’s family issues and their treatment of her. In Anna’s culture the family is all no matter what they do or how detrimental and even damaging that relationship is for individuals. Ms. Hoang states this book is her most personal which is why she switched from third to first person because it functions as a mirror to some recent personal struggles. This story is also more in the territory of Women’s Fiction than romance with a high level of angst and personal development with Anna and Quan's relationship taking a backseat in the narrative.

The Heart Principle is my favorite in this series, and I loved them all. The characters are so vibrant and their struggles are portrayed honestly, clearly, and with heart, and you can't help but root for them. I thought the romance took a back seat to the characters' development and I loved every minute of it.

This was a really great book. I can tell from the emotion that this is personal to the author. Though I had never experienced what she has, I was able to emphasize with her and feel what she was feeling through the writing. The love story was great and the struggles the couple had are so realistic - something that is often not seen in a romance novel. I think readers will really like this. I personally do not think you HAVE to read the others in the series to enjoy it.

I basically started reading The Heart Principle the very instant that I was granted access to an early electronic review copy because I’ve been dying to get my hands on the third installment of The Kiss Quotient series for quite some time now. I’m pleased to report that, while it hasn’t quite dethroned The Kiss Quotient as my favorite, it was a really, really, really excellent addition to the series.

Our heroine Anna Sun is a gifted violinist whose career took off considerably after a video of one of her performances goes viral on YouTube. But now she’s dealing with the anxiety and burnout of her many attempts to play the music with the connection and passion she once felt. On top of her career woes, Anna’s boyfriend decides he wants them to try an open relationship before they commit to marriage. And so, angry, hurt, stressed but still determined to put her best foot forward, Anna decides that she’ll be open to one-night stands. Cue her app match-up with Quan Diep, a handsome tattooed motorcyclist who has insecurities of his own. Their original plans fall apart more than once, but their blossoming relationship opens Anna up to a world of unconditional acceptance and care. But when Anna is called upon to help out in a time of great crisis, will the familial expectations end up tearing her and their budding relationship apart?

Let’s get one thing out of the way: The Heart Principle is different from the other books in this series. While all three books share Hoang’s authorial style when it comes to character development and relationships (romantic, familial, etc), as well as plot progression, this novel feels heavier. (And upon further reflection, that has a lot to do with the emotional weightlifting readers do with Anna and Quan all throughout.) There’s a very jagged, raw honesty that permeates the narrative; it goes so far as to feel quite melancholy and stressful at certain points. Despite the difference in overall feel, The Heart Principle was still captivating (as proven by the fact that I read it all in one night since I was driven by the need to see how it would all turn out!

To put it simply, I really loved this novel. The plot – from romantic developments to individual struggles – was compelling and immersive. The characters – from our main couple to the secondary characters (including individuals making cameos and others I didn’t particularly care for) – felt like real people who leapt off the page. And the relationships – from familial to friendly to romantic – were very much the same. The emotional beats that made me feel so many ways. I laughed. I cried. I got angry. I was afraid. And all those feelings manifested with a rare intensity too.

What really sticks out to me the most, however, is how I felt connected to Anna herself. I’ve never been in exactly the same situations (I’m not a violinist, and fortunately, I haven’t faced a similar familial crisis). But the emotional upheaval she goes through? The thoughts she grapples with regularly? The way she interacts with the world and other folks? All those things I’ve experienced in a similar form or fashion in my own life. To see them so acutely reflected in fiction was a surprise; to feel seen by their depiction was startling but not an unwelcome response. This had a particular effect on my experience of and my attachment to this novel, that’s for sure.

I can’t recommend diving into The Heart Principle as your first Helen Hoang read (partially because of the foundational quality of the two books before it, and partially because of its overall heaviness and subject matter). But I would say that it’s worth the read for sure, especially if you’re already an established fan of Hoang’s other work. I absolutely devoured The Heart Principle. It’s the kind of story that really puts your heart through an emotional roller coaster, but leaves you feeling hopeful and heart-full by the end. I loved my time reading it, and it’s definitely cemented Hoang as one of my favorite writers.

(For your reference, I’m including the same list of content warnings I mentioned in my Goodreads review. I’ve included most of the major ones, but I apologize in advance if I missed any — anxiety and panic attacks, autism, cancer, sterility, toxic family members, family member with severe illness, burnout, autistic burnout, reckless endangerment of self, suicide ideation, ableism.)

In 2018 I fell in love with Helen Hoang and the world of people she created in The Kiss Quotient. I wanted to know everything about every character mentioned. I wanted to know everything I could about Michael’s family. And I got some of that in The Bride Test and Khai’s story. But what I really wanted was Quan’s story. Since the moment he was introduced I wanted to know everything about him. And that is what The Heart Principle is, it is Quan’s story. And I loved everything about it.

The Heart Principle Is the story of Quan and Anna. Anna is a violinist that had a moment of fame that went viral and she hasn’t been able to deal with the pressure ever since. On top of that her boyfriend tells her they should date around and see what’s out there. Not sure how to deal with her lack of music inspiration and her crumbling relationship Anna decides she needs a one night stand where she meets Quan. Quan is having a hard time himself. His business with Michael is going strong but he is gun shy when it comes to dating thanks to some health things. When Quan and Anna keep failing at a planned one night stand they start to learn more about each other and let each other in. But when something happens to someone in Anna’s family everything changes and both Quan and Anna find themselves on very different pages needing very different things.

Unlike Helen Hoang’s first two books, The Heart Principle hit me in the feels. This book is a serious look at grief, mental health, physical health, and a person’s well being. What Anna and Quan go through over the span of 300+ pages made me so emotional. There is no way around it, Anna’s story is sad. She goes through the roughest time in her life in a short span of time and it takes a toll on her. It was hard to read everything she had to deal with and how she was treated by people that love her. It was hard not to break when she broke. It was hard to see Quan dealing with his own stuff while also trying to help someone he had come to care about. What made this book so hard and emotional was how real all of these things were and how beautifully written it was.

When you go into read The Heart Principle, make sure you know one thing…this is not The Kiss Quotient or The Bride Test. This book is heavier and more emotional than you will anticipate. Don’t go into it thinking you are getting something on the light side. This is an emotional read that will tear your heart out but also make you smile and see there is always light at the end of dark tunnels. A fantastic addition to Hoang’s catalog and I can’t wait to see what else she has in store for us.