This book is a masterpiece. At times it feels as though you're moving slow, but you can't rush through the emotional load this book dumps on you. I still feel emotionally battered by this book and I finished it a few days ago

Oh my heart!

Like many others, I have been waiting for Helen Hoang's latest novel for two years after we first heard of the rough concept. I remember initially reaching out to Berkley to cover its release in 2020 only to find out it was pushed for a year. It was well worth the wait for a book that wrecked me in the best possible way.

Like many of us who have struggled for a multitude of reasons last year, Hoang did too; hence the delay. She used her time to find a way to beautifully communicate so much of the doubt and trauma, and what results embraces a vulnerability that is breathtaking.

Anna Sun is a brilliant violinist who is struggling with her art, partly from burnout, partly for other reasons that she has soon discovers. During therapy, she learns that she is on the autism spectrum, very much mirroring Helen Hoang's discovery or her own autism in adulthood, including discussions on how Anna "masks" and is a people-pleaser, often to her own detriment. A dimension of learning this later in life I had not considered is illustrated here, that some people close to Anna refuse to accept the diagnosis and instead can only see her through their own very different abilities. She is also dealing with some family drama that is pretty devastating and – a bit of a warning – can be hard for some people to read after our last pandemic year.

The romance comes in after her ass-hat of a boyfriend insists on seeing other people "just to be sure" before he makes their engagement official. Good riddance! She has a tattooed motorcycle-riding martial artist to bone instead and no time for wafflers and underminers.

As many of us know, this is also Quan's story – Michael's cousin from "The Kiss Quotient." He's dealing with his own issues after recovering from surgery for testicular cancer, which naturally also causes him some intimacy anxiety. Together, he and Anna make quite the hookup pair, and the way they negotiate their attraction and physical interactions is a mixture of hot and sweet. (For those who want a comparison, "Kiss Quotient" has a lot more frequent boning on the page, while "Heart Principle" is more selective, yet no less steamy.)

I can see how some fans of "Kiss Quotient" may have wanted this book to be as lighthearted as the original. Note that there's a helluva lot of laughs and hyper-specificity – so much "My Octopus Teacher" and Netflix content that all of our couch potato asses can identify with.

Nevertheless, fair warning that there is some death and lots of heartache here, but the sentiment is rendered so honestly that I can't help but be in awe. And ultimately that's what really sells the romance. It's just emotionally gorgeous.

Review based on an ARC courtesy of Berkley Publishing and Netgalley.

This is my favorite book yet! So worth the wait. This book broke my heart and simultaneously put it back together. I loved every page, every character except Priscilla ugh! Quan is the absolute best and I’m so glad we finally got his story!!

This was both sexy and touching. The story of Anna and Quan may wind up being my favorite of this interwoven trilogy. The family aspect of not understanding as burgers was really hard to read at times but also some thing I know is very accurate in today’s world. The vulnerability both of these characters shared was beautiful.

The Heart Principle By Helen Hoang is the third book in Hoang’s series. Anna is a phenomenal violinist who is suffering with a creative block. She isn’t able to finish playing any piece of music. She then meets Quan. Quan doesn’t magically heal her block, which I appreciated, but he does help her love herself and believe in herself. Anna needs to do a lot of soul searching but she eventually embraces the life she has with a few bumps along the road. Read and enjoy!

A highly anticipated book that delivered with swoon worthy romance and steam. This story has many layers though and difficult topics are explored which makes this the most emotional book in this series for me.

Quan and Anna were so perfect for each other. Quan is struggling to get back into dating after fighting his health issues and Anna is coming to terms with her diagnosis of ASD as an adult. I felt their connection and intimacy with my whole heart! Their relationship was so raw, real and honest even down to their sexual explorations with each other.

Anna's family dynamics especially play a huge role in this book. The burden of expectations placed on her by her Chinese family was difficult to get through. She was the obedient daughter who lived to please her mom and sister. I struggled with understanding her choices sometimes and I admit I got frustrated with her. However, I absolutely loved her character growth and by the end she learned to stand up for herself.

Quan absolutely stole my heart! His patience, love and adoration for Anna will pull on your heartstrings! He was literally with her through the good and the bad. This is the stuff real men are made of and I applaud Helen Hoang for creating the man of all our dreams!

This was not an easy road to happily ever after. This book is heavy but the healing and growth these characters experience along with their beautiful romance makes it absolutely worth it!

Not sure what happened but I was really into the first 100 pages and then had to force the rest in. Book dealt with autism, caregiving, mental health and depression so it ended up getting more serious than I expected. The romance became a side story as the main character's struggles came to the front.

Was this book ever worth the wait!!! So much more than a traditional love story, this dual perspective romance focuses on Anna and her journey with mental health, self care and learning how to say no to others' expectations and demands.

Anna is a talented violinist who is feeling all kinds of self-imposed pressure after a viral video brings her into the spotlight. A people-pleaser and perfectionist to the core, she is feeling burnt out and anxious and when her long time boyfriend asks for an open relationship Anna takes it as a free pass to play the field herself. Enter Quan, a man she meets on a dating app where they bond over a shared love of nature documentaries. Their first attempts to meet IRL don't go well but Quan is the sweetest guy, letting Anna go at her own speed and comfort level and isn't scared off by her severe social anxiety.

When Anna's father has a debilitating stroke and she is forced to take on a major caretaker role, Quan steps up and again is a very supportive presence. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the rest of Anna's family who constantly belittle her and ask way too much, without ever taking into consideration what Anna might need.

I loved so much about this book but the highlights were the way Anna slowly finds the courage to stand up for herself and use her voice to say no to the things that are causing her mental anxiety.

The mental health and neurodiversity representation in this book is AMAZING! Anna gets a late in life autism diagnosis (common for many women on the spectrum) and regularly sees a therapist who helps her work through her tendencies to "mask" her true feelings. She later falls into a depressive state and while she does start using anti-depression medication the author does a great job showing how the road to feeling better is a long one and not an easy battle.

Another great positive was the open conversations Anna and Quan have about sexual pleasure and desire, discussing frankly what works for them without shame - MORE books need conversations like these!

This is a must read book in my opinion and I can't recommend it enough. Highly enjoyed and perfect for fans of Chloe Liese or Susannah Nix.Much thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and the author for my advance review copies!!

This was a wonderful book that I read quickly because I couldn’t get enough of it. I love having atypical main characters and the awareness, openness and discussion fodder it brings. I could tell the author poured her heart into this book and I loved that! I highly recommend this.

Courageously written. Deeply affecting. I've been sitting on this review for several days, feeling like I needed some perspective before commenting on the radical vulnerability I had just witnessed. This is contemporary romance that is crowded with so much heart and relevance and pain and healing that you could be forgiven for thinking there'd be no room for delightful, quirky humor or steamy sexiness or a satisfying HEA. You'd be wrong. The quirky humor isn't comic relief and the sizzling sex scenes aren't gratuitous and the HEA isn't a simple fairytale ending. But they're there — discordant themes blended together beautifully.

(If I were musically inclined, like our main character, Anna, I'd make some observation about composition and harmony and symphonic music. But I'm not musically inclined.)

There's a lot going on here, so buckle up! Anna is a concert violinist who is struck with incapacitating performance anxiety after sudden viral success. She has an important composition written just for her and she can't get through it, even in her private practice time. She tries, falters, feels unworthy, goes back to the beginning to try again. Her normal, everyday life performance is also a struggle. Because, yes, she's been performing her life for as long as she can remember. It's the only way to please her family. But it's just become so exhausting. Her therapist suspects that Anna may be autistic and may be masking — a coping mechanism adopted to smooth social interaction. She suggests Anna try to find a safe space where she can practice being herself, not masking and not people pleasing.

(If I were musically inclined, I'd make some observation about the brilliant metaphor of a people-pleasing musician in a crisis of self struggling to perform a piece written just for her.)

When her long-time boyfriend declares he wants an open relationship before settling down with her, Anna is devastated and angry. She accepts it, however, and takes the opportunity to explore some no-strings-attached dating that might serve a dual purpose: revenge against her boyfriend (who laughs at the thought of her hooking up with anyone else) and empowerment for her as she uses the no-pressure situation of dating people she doesn't know and doesn't have to see again to practice being herself instead of performing for everyone else. She downloads a dating app and gets to it. Her first attempted hook up is with Quan — handsome, fit, tattooed, motorcycle-riding, and not her type. Perfect. Quan is also looking for something low-pressure and no-strings-attached to ease him back into dating. He's physically recovered from a surgery that saved his life from cancer, but he's struggling emotionally to feel well and whole and he's dealing with lingering insecurities in his personal life and career. When their first date fails, they try again. When their second fails, they try again. When their third fails, they try again. Is this really no-strings-attached or is it maybe the kind of strings that attach and support instead of bind and manipulate? The kind of strings that can be tuned together? Things get even more complicated when a medical tragedy strikes Anna's family and she slips back into the mold they've made for her, taking on a difficult caregiver role that strains more than just her budding relationship with Quan.

This is very much Anna's story, but there's also a lot explored on Quan's side (who is pretty much #goals as far as book boyfriends go). See the "Topics, tropes, and themes" below if you want a preview. Also, the medical tragedy/caregiver scenes are very realistically portrayed. Strong trigger warnings for that as well as for depression/burnout and family emotional abuse/gaslighting. See "Content notes" below for more specifics.

As far as the writing goes — the beginning was a little rocky for me because of the mid-series switch to first person, which I often don't enjoy reading, but it took almost no time for me to adjust. First person makes sense for such a personal story. The ending felt a little less tidy than a typical romance and might have benefitted from a little more time spent on it, but I thought it matched the tone of the story and stayed true to the characters while also delivering a satisfying HEA. I was *wrung* by the end, but so, so appreciative of the author's vulnerability and sensitivity and humor.

Topics, tropes and themes: adult diagnosis of autism, anxiety, depression, performance anxiety, burnout, artistic block, viral success, imposter syndrome, perfectionism, people pleasing, health and mental health, masculinity, partnership, family, caregiving, hospice care, acceptance, healthy supportive love, setting boundaries, masking, self love and acceptance, vulnerability, Asian American communities, first generation immigrant experience, Vietnamese American, Chinese American; bad boy trope, one night stand, rebound sex, female orgasm; octopuses

Content notes: cancer, orchiectomy, infertility, stroke, terminal illness, caregiving and caregiver burnout, detailed hospice/medical care, nonconsensual medical intervention, depression, death of a parent, racial and socioeconomic bigotry, family rejection and estrangement, obsessive behaviors, imposter syndrome, emotional abuse, gaslighting

My thanks to #NetGalley and Berkley for a digital ARC!

Ooh this one gave me all the feels. The Heart Principle is very sexy and romantic but also very emotional and raw; while there are some lighter moments here, overall this is a heavier read. That being said, I really loved this and actually liked it more than The Bride Test. Anna is such a wonderfully complex character and I felt like I was by her side the whole time, laughing and crying along with her. Hoang is such a beautiful writer, and knowing what a personal book this was for her, make me love it even more.

I really loved this book! Yes it is a romance book, but really this book is a book about acceptance, identity, and mental health. The romance aspect was good Quan is a dream boyfriend and partner but Anna is the character that shines. This is Anna's story way more than it is a romance and that's what made this book exceptional.

I read this book in one sitting and just fell in love with it. Helen Hoang put her heart in this book and it came through on every page. LOVED it!

4.5 stars rounded up

This is the first book I've read in this series. I was worried when I realized it was the third installment that I would be missing something as I read but I definitely did not feel that was the case. After discussing this book with others who had read all three I learned this is the least steamy of the three (but still plenty of steam IMO), the deepest of the three, and a little surprising for Quan's storyline.

Personally, I loved Quan (prime book boyfriend material) and I super-duper loved Anna, our main character. I felt she was such a relatable character trying to come to terms with her expectations of herself while dealing with an asshole of a boyfriend and a family that expects more than she can give. All this while dealing with some revelations of her own.

Anna and Quan meet on an online dating app with plans for a one night stand. Each has their own reason for wanting a one-and-done set up but when things go awry on try one, they decide to have try two....and three. We follow along through each of their perspectives as they work through their own intimacy and life issues.

After reading this one I can't wait to go back and read books 1 and 2 in the series.

<i>I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

I think I speak for most of us when I say that The Heart Principle is one of the most highly anticipated romances of 2021. Before I dive into my review, let me just get this out of the way: The Heart Principle is <i>not</i> a romantic comedy. It is a romance that deals with themes like mental illness, burnout, caregiving, and the road to self-discovery and self-acceptance. If you are expecting a light and funny romantic comedy, please adjust your expectations. Read this book when you are in the right headspace, otherwise you will not be able to appreciate the story for what it offers.

Anna is a violinist who found fame through a viral YouTube video. But she is now struggling with burnout. When her boyfriend decides to open their relationship, Anna makes the bold decision to have a one night stand. After dealing with some health issues, Quan decides that it's finally time to re-enter the dating market. Anna and Quan meet through a dating app and they both agree to have a one night stand...but their attempts for a hook up accidentally develop into a romantic relationship. To my delight, of course LOL.

I won't lie: this book is rough and emotionally overwhelming, but it is worth reading. Helen Hoang is very honest with her depictions of caregiving, burnout, and difficult relatives who cannot help but be pieces of shit. It was all very realistic, and quite frankly, triggering for me. I recognized elements of myself in Anna and I recognized elements of my relatives in Anna's family members. It was rough. It was triggering. And it was real. But it's worth it to watch Anna grow and heal. Her road to self-discovery, healing, and self-acceptance brings along hope and wisdom, which was a balm for my heart.

As for Quan, he is struggling with self-acceptance and fear of rejection after surviving testicular cancer. He does not feel secure in his appearance and he is scared to date again. But after encouragement from Michael, Quan puts himself out there even though he is scared of being rejected. Quan and Michael are still business partners and they are about to catch a big break for their business. I really liked how the author created different paths for Anna and Quan and still showed us how these two were there for each other no matter what. Both Anna and Quan are dealing with fear of rejection and struggling with accepting themselves, so they have that in common. But other than that, they are different people who somehow fit together well.

Can I just say that I absolutely love Quan? I LOVE this man. The patience, the love, the care, the understanding, and just him being there for his loved ones....He's unreal. Can I place an order for 1 Quan, please and thanks? Quan fell so hard for Anna. He's the first one to fall in love, which is kind of a rarity in the romance genre. Quan and Anna's romance is sweet, heartfelt, and steamy. It is also very angsty, so prepare yourself for that. But the difficult journey is worth the happily ever after.

This is not a 5 star book for me because I wanted to spend some more time with Quan. I understand why Anna's journey takes the spotlight, but I wanted more Quan. I also think that Part 3 of the book, which is arguably the most important part of Anna's journey, is a bit too short. So while I enjoyed the happily ever after, the ending didn't feel 100% cathartic to me as a reader. It was real, but a lot of what happens in Part 3 went by too quickly for me to properly absorb it. That being said, I loved the ending. By the time we get to the happily ever after, Anna is on the road to recovery and self-acceptance. As we all know, the journey of healing and self-acceptance doesn't really end, but Helen Hoang ends the story on a hopeful note, which makes the happily ever after all the sweeter.

This book was powerful, emotional, real and very, very good. After reading the author's note, I am not OK. I don't even know how to describe this book. I LOVED Hoang's previous two books in the series. They were steamy romances that were inclusive reads and that is what I was expecting for this one. What I got was something very different, but better. There should be a lot of trigger warnings with this book so you might want to prepare yourself before reading this book.

Despite the heaviness of the book, I loved it. Quan is my new book boyfriend and I wish every guy could read this to know how to treat a woman. The sex scenes were open door but they weren't just a steamy sesh, they were intimate. I loved the romance. I loved Anna and felt for her so much. There was humor but it's not a romantic comedy.

I don't even know what else to say other than be prepared but enjoy. I don't feel like I'm selling this book too well but it was so so good.

TW: Severe anxiety, depression, burnout, cancer, death of a loved one, toxic familial relationships, suicidal ideation.

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

The Heart Principle is one of my most anticipated books of the year and it really knocked my socks off. I read it in one sitting, staying up to 3AM!

This book’s vibe and the tone from The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test is very different and I wanted to make that clear so that the reader’s expectations are managed. IT IS NOT A ROM-COM! It does have a really delicious AND steamy central romance between Quan and Anna, but alongside the romance, we follow Anna as she goes on a journey of self-discovery as she navigates her mental health and grief. Quan also goes on his own journey to regain his self-confidence and to not accept LESS for himself after his recovery from testicular cancer. Their journeys sometimes diverged from the romantic plot, but this made it all the more authentic to me and dear goodness, the heartbreak and angst made their HEA all the more sweeter.

Even though this book cannot be called a romantic-comedy, there was also a lot of Helen’s sneaky humour layered in the story and this was particularly with Quan and Michael’s interactions about Anna. I just ADORE the energy and bond between the cousins. Quan and Anna also some hilarious moments as they tried to figure out how their hook-up ended up being an accidental relationship. Quan was also completely GONE for Anna and gah, I love that trope! Their relationship and caring for each other was just wonderful.

This book is so full of emotions and there was so much in here that really resonated with me from the very first. It was apparent that Helen put a lot of herself into this book, and I just am grateful for her beautiful, thoughtful writing. I often paused to digest her words and honestly, this book was a reminder for me to be kinder to myself and I am thankful for that especially during these uncertain times.

Thank you to the publisher for the arc!

Release: 31 August




#HelenHoang #TheHeartPrinciple #TheKissQuotient #ContemporaryRomance #WomensFiction #bookmages #berkleyromance

OH MY HEART. This book. It just hit me in all of the feels. If I didn’t have a job and responsibilities I would have literally stayed up all night to finish in one sitting.

The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test are favorites of mine, but this book is different. It’s special in a way that is so much more than the romance between Anna and Quan. It’s special because as you read you can feel the author’s struggle. She was so open and honest with us. I feel extraordinarily grateful to her for sharing this piece of herself with the world.

Now, there is great romance - Quan is seriously a DREAM MAN!! And the steam is honest and in keeping with both of the character’s struggles. There are lots of triggers here and the book should not be approached as a light and fun RomCom, but I think what you will learn about the emotions of autism and caregiver fatigue are such important lessons.

Definitely don’t miss the authors note and acknowledgements at the end. I literally cried so hard. Thank you @hhoang for giving us your heart with this story!

I don't think I have the words for how good this book is; I read it in one day which really speaks for itself. the romance itself was sweet and beautiful and I loved how Quan was so attentive to how Anna was feeling and was a safe space for her to do what she wanted not what was expected of her. but the real heart of the story was Anna: her relationship with the world around her, her ASD diagnosis, her finding the voice to stand up for herself. I loved watching her growth but it was difficult; I had an ache in my chest the whole time and I just wanted her to find relief. I appreciated the author's note immensely. We're in the midst of a caregiving crisis and though fictional, Helen Hoang provided a raw portrayal of what caregivers go through.

it really was a moving read and if you're in the right headspace, I definitely recommend it.

Because I so thoroughly enjoyed Hoang's "The Kiss Quotinet," I was so excited to read her newest book. And oh my goodness, she exceeded my already very high expectations.

This book is not just a romance. Yes, it centers on two people falling in love, but each of those people is dealing with such real and relatable and deep life issues that it becomes about so much more than love and sex (though the sex scenes are WOW good). It's about finding yourself, finding your voice, accepting yourself for who you are now, and not who you remember yourself to be. It's about change, and getting through the truly hard things and moments.

I fell so deep into this book that I felt like I was living Anna's emotions. I wanted to jump into her story and beg her to believe in herself. Any book that can transport me this much automatically gets a spot on my Favorites list. HIGHLY recommend to all readers.

I just love Helen Hoang's vulnerabilty. You can tell she pours so much of herself and her personal experiences in to her books and they're all the better for it.

Not only did The Heart Principle have a great romance story, but it also had family dynamics, loss, depression, neurodivergence and much more. I feel like a more informed person having read it.