Hoang's latest book hits hard and pulls no punches in its honesty. A phenomenal novel exploring a woman's journey about coming into herself and learning how to manage a late in life diagnosis. This story is emotional to its core. But hopeful at the same time.

I went in thinking this would be another fun romance but was left stunned and haven't stopped thinking about it since.

The only thing I think it was missing was trigger warnings. I know that there are important topics discussed in the novel that may be hard for some to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the eARC for an unbiased review.

we love to see a main character step out of her comfort zone, turn lemons into lemonade (aka ditch a 💩 bf who wants an open relationship), discover more of who she is through therapy, fall in love, vocalize what she wants and needs, heal and reconcile family dynamics, and, of course, end up with a happy ever after!!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

also, where can i find me a first date that’s as successful as anna’s with quan, like come ON 😩 i wish tattooed, respectful, endearing men were on dating apps around here…

I’m absolutely astonished by this book. Like other reviewers, I was surprised by how heavy the story got, but I’m not even remotely disappointed by that.

I’m left in complete awe for Hoang. The strength she had to sit down and write this took more courage than I could ever imagine.

This was a story that needed to be told and it was done beautifully. This whole thing is going to stick with me for a long time. Incredibly done.

I enjoyed the first two books in this series and so I had to read the third. She did not disappoint! The stories all have recurring characters and themes but the author makes each story fresh. If you enjoyed the first one or two you’ll enjoy this one! Thank you Netgalley for the eARC!

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 (rounding to 4 for now, but may sleep on it and decide later)

The Heart Principle is a deeply personal novel for Helen Hoang compare to the first two books. I tried to keep this review short, but there's so much I want to say 😩.

I think Helen Hoang's writing has evolved very well and it shows in the character developments. I went into this novel expecting another sweet, fun, and light-hearted rom com, however, Hoang describes this book as a half memoir, so it has a more serious tone. I think it's worth mentioning there may be some triggered points such as gaslighting, emotional abuse and bullying, and caregiver burnout.

The way Hoang depicts the Asian culture, especially in regards to your family and who makes the decisions and not feeling like you have a voice hits too close to home with me. Though I'm the oldest, I still find it hard to voice my opinions to my elders, because it's viewed as being disrespectful or I'm not taking their wishes seriously, so more often than not, as frustrating as I was with some of Anna's decisions, I definitely understood her thought process, not to mention she still has a harder time than most because of her mental health.

All in all, though it is more serious than her previous books, it is such an emotional and impactful book and I cannot recommend it enough.
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Many thanks to netgalley and Berkley for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest opinion. This book hits shelves August 31, so be on the look out!

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was a tough one to read - not because it was bad but it was heavy, heartbreaking and intense. Yes it's a romance but I felt that the romance element was more secondary. It's more about a woman's search to find herself in a culture and society that is constantly telling her what she should or should not be. As a Chinese immigrant myself, some of the family issues Anna dealt with felt very familiar to me. I highly encourage you to read the Author's Note at the end of the book. Thank you to Helen Hoang for opening up herself to the world through the character of Anna.

Lots of trigger warnings for this one so please read with caution.

This is such an emotional and intense story. I loved the insight into Anna and the autistic burnout she was experiencing. I loved that Quan finally got his story. The romance between Quan and Anna was very sweet and supportive. The way he took care of her and accepted her needs and what she was dealing with was beautiful. He really is the perfect hero. The story is written as a very raw and real exploration of Anna’s issues with her family, her autism diagnosis, and grief. For that reason, the tone in this one is a bit different than the first two in the series, but I still highly recommend it.

I loved The Kiss Quotient. I loved The Bride Test. Love doesn't adequately express how I felt about The Heart Principle. This book hits so much harder than the previous two. Quan is every bit the man readers who know him from the earlier books want him to be, and reading as he and Anna fall in love, as they get absolutely rocked by hard times, as they love each other through it, was a really emotional journey. Days after finishing this, I'm still sitting here struck by the power of this one- but it isn't a story in which "love conquers all", it's a story about helping and loving someone through crisis. This one meant a lot, and it was so worth the wait.

The Heart Principle is my favorite of Hoang's books yet. It has a depth of emotion-- deep sadness as Anna deals with a family tragedy, and as she finds her voice around the family that's always dismissed her, as well as healing and romance in Anna's developing relationship with Quan. I am so glad Quan got to be the love interest in this third book--I was hoping it would be him!

I loved this book. It was hopeful, heavy, beautiful, heartbreaking, and so much more. Helen Hoang is such an incredible writer. She writes from experience while also writing about topics that require her to do some research — and she handles these topics with care.

I loved the music aspect — Anna is a talented violinist who is struggling with the expectations placed on her. Quan is recovering from a diagnosis and recent surgery. I loved both Anna and Quan individually and as a couple. They were accepting of each other, and helped the other to build confidence and feel whole. Anna goes to a dark place when tragedy strikes her family and she becomes overwhelmed with expectations. I thought this part was handled beautifully. Everything about this book was so well-done. I loved both The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test, but this one was definitely my favorite. The Heart Principle is a touching romance novel that you won’t want to miss.

Helen Hoang has a way with words. I fell in love with her writing while reading The Kiss Quotient and continued into the Bride Test!

Now while I absolutely loved her writing in the Heart Principle, just know that this story is completely different than the two previous. This story is more of a true contemporary than what I would normally consider contemporary romance.

Hoang delves into many serious topics and at times my heart was just truly broken for these characters.

All in all, this was a great read for me. Just know, if you’re looking for a cute, quick rom com, this might not be the one for you. However, I highly recommend this read!

Thank you @netgalley and @berkleyromance for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review! The Heart Principle is out on August 31.

Helen Hoang does it again! Way back when, The Kiss Quotient was truly my first experience reading romance and what made me fall in love with the genre. Since then, I've anticipated Hoang's books obsessively.

Of all of Hoang's books, I think this one is the one I anticipated the most because I love Quan so much from the previous books. Although this one can be read as a standalone, he does make appearances in the first two books. She didn't let me down with his love story! He's the perfect book boyfriend and probably my favorite of the bunch with Michael as a close second.

This one was steamy, touching, and at times incredibly sad. I can't recommend this one enough to anyone who loves the romance genre, but be prepared for quite an emotional journey and don't skip out on The Author's Note!

Oh, this was SO good. I had high expectations for Helen Hoang's newest book, but this exceeded all of them. If possible, this might be her best book yet!

This book is a romance, but it is also much more than that. Anna and Quan have a wonderful chemistry and they are very sweet together. They are also both going through their own personal struggles, and it makes the characters both real and relatable. Quan has physically recovered from health issues, but emotionally he is still struggling to come to terms with his new reality. He hasn't had a relationship in quite a while, and is happy, at first, for a no-strings-attached affair. Anna has recently been diagnosed with Autism, at around the same time that her long-term boyfriend decides he wants to see other people. She decides it is only fair for her to see other people too. She isn't looking for a commitment with Quan either, but it isn't long before both of them start having more serious feelings for each other. In the meantime, they are both dealing with family and work issues that take an emotional toll on both of them.

This book is sweet, sad, and lovely. I enjoyed every moment of the story. I'm looking forward to more from Hoang in the future!

Having read Helen Hoang's other books, I think she keeps getting better and better. There are so many different themes in this book, but they never come across as too much - it all makes sense when tied together. The romance is heartwarming, though I would have loved to see more of what the main characters, Quan and Anna, saw in each other to make them feel so strongly. Alongside of the romance, both Anna and Quan go through their own self development and I really appreciated that each had to work through it on their own, yet provided emotional support when needed. There is also a lot to unpack in Anna's relationship with her family and Hoang again writes the Asian/Asian American family experience so well. Each of Hoang's books so far incorporates the Asian American experience as well as depiction of characters with ASD, yet they're not exact reproductions of each other and each story and character is unique. The ending is a bit rushed tying things up, but I really enjoyed it overall.

This book was so emotionally riveting on so many different levels - I ran the gamut here and the trek to that wonderful ending was so worth the turmoil.

What an amazing addition to Hoang's catalog of incredible stories.

Thank you for the early copy!

I have loved Helen Hoang since the Kiss Quotient and this book was certainly no exception. I have been waiting anxiously for Quan's story, and it didn't disappoint. Both of Hoang's previous books dealt with some heavy topics, but none were at quite this level of heaviness for me. Lots of intense stuff in here: severe anxiety, an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis that was a surprise to the main character, testicular cancer recovery, decline and death of a parent, and probably a few more. It's not your typical contemporary rom com, but what a truly incredible book it is. The romance is beautiful and really attests to the power of love in progressively more intense situations, but this is a tough read. Anna, the main female protagonist, really goes through it, and it was hard not to strongly dislike her ex-boyfriend, her sister, and sometimes her mother. I found her story inspiring, but it's certainly not saccharine in any way. Helen Hoang's author note explains what she was dealing with while writing this one, and it made a lot of sense to me that she struggled with some of these exact issues because the depictions just feel so authentic. The description of caregiving for a declining parent were heart-wrenching but very real based on situations I've seen. I also loved the ending - everything is tied up in the usual romance novel way, but it's not at all trite.

The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang is the 3rd book in her The Kiss Quotient series. We meet our heroine, Anna Sun, who is a very talented violinist, currently on leave with burn out. Her career blossomed when she did a You Tube video, which she ended up with recording deal, an international tour and became a prodigy; but the pressure of expectations from management and fans alike caused a mental block, forcing her to take a leave. Anna is struggling, especially with her family and her boyfriend, and decides to go to a therapist for help; which will diagnose her with ASD (Autistic Spectrum). Anna has lost all her confidence, and even allows her family and boyfriend to tell her what to do. Things will slowly change, when the boyfriend decides to date other people, before they commit to marry each other. Anna will decide to listen to her friends and joins a dating service, to shake up her own life.

Quan Diep, our hero (whom we met in the earlier book), is recovering from a serious cancer battle, that is now fully cured. When he sees Anna on the dating site, and asks her to meet for dinner. Anna is surprised to meet Quan, who is not only handsome, but also tattooed and rides motorcycles. Quan sees the beautiful Anna, and slowly he gets her to talk more, as he senses her shyness; Quan is the perfect man for Anna, as he is patient, and caring.

They end up on a one-night stand, with Quan seeing how scared Anna was, it did not get too far. However, both are attracted to each other, and decide to give it another chance, allowing each to deal with their issues and to begin to trust one another. In a short time, their relationship escalates to sizzling chemistry, with Anna learning how to enjoy sex, which her boyfriend never gave her satisfaction. I will say that sex was a major background of this story; but they made such a wonderful couple, which had me rooting hard for them.

Quan is determined to win over Anna’s family, which he knows is going to be difficult. Especially when Anna’s father gets sick, and she has to help be a caregiver for him. I love how Quan was so sweet and wonderful with Anna, slowly helping her learn to get past her anxieties, lack of confidence and moving on with her life.
The Heart Principal was a sensual, emotional, heartwarming, heart wrenching and sexy story. It was amazing to see Quan help Anna through her fears and anxiety, always being there for her. To say too much more would be spoilers, and you need to read every single page of this book. There are many sensitive issues throughout, such as Autism, Cancer, Anxiety, Caretaking, Family issues and fears. But true love will conquer all. This was so well written by Hoang, as she manages to keep us glued to our seats with this wonderful story, with a fantastic couple.

Oh Helen Hoang. You have my heart once again.

When I got this early copy of The Heart Principle, the email said in all caps "THIS IS NOT THE BRIDE TEST. THIS IS NOT THE KISS QUOTIENT." So I was warned. And they were right. If you loved those earlier books, The Heart Principle is deeper and heavier and more intense. But the romance is so good. The story is one that I sunk into and I cared so much for both main characters. The start was a little slower. I think mostly because if my advanced knowledge to change my expectations and partly because the set up was so important that it took time. I devoured this book. I picked it up in the evening and texted my friend that I hoped no one wanted to talk to me because I was only reading that night. It was awesome.

With his tattoos, motorcycle, and his ultra-kind heart, Quan Diep stole my heart in Helen Hoang’s debut romance The Kiss Quotient even though he was only meant to be a secondary character. I adored his character so much and was thrilled to learn he would be featured in Hoang’s new novel, The Heart Principle.

The Heart Principle follows a young woman named Anna Sun. She is a gifted violinist who is suffering from burnout that is the result of the pressure of her own success. When a well known composer writes a piece of music specifically for her to play, Anna finds herself completely incapacitated and unable to play the piece no matter how many hours a day she tries to practice it. Anna has hit a wall and doesn’t know how to move forward. As if her career struggles aren’t weighing her down enough, her personal life has taken a hit as well. She has been expecting her longtime boyfriend to propose to her any day now and instead he tells her he would like to have an open relationship for a while first, to see other people and just make sure they’re really right for each other. Anna is of course hurt and furious, although she doesn’t tell him that, and decides that if he’s going to date and sleep with other people, so is she. That is, if her anxiety and panic attacks don’t get in the way. This is where she crosses paths with Quan and their journey together begins.

I adored Anna. She’s such a sweetheart and I hated that she was going through so much, especially since it was clearly draining her both emotionally and physically. I also really hated her boyfriend and practically jumped for joy when Anna and Quan find each other on a dating app. It’s obvious from their very first conversations that they have so much chemistry and I just loved how patient and understanding Quan was when it came to Anna’s struggles with anxiety. He feels such a strong connection to her and just accepts her exactly as she is. It was so sweet watching the two of them grow closer as the story progressed.

What surprised me about this book was how sad the overall story was at times. It’s a beautiful story and a special one but it also just covers so many heavy topics. In addition to Anna’s struggles with anxiety, there’s also toxic relationships, cancer, the death of a beloved family member, and more. It was definitely not the cheerful story I would have expected based on the cover.

Even with it being a lot sadder than I was expecting, I still loved The Heart Principle overall, especially because it also has growth and healing, and ends on such a positive and uplifting note. If you’ve enjoyed Hoang’s first two books, you’re sure to love this one as well. I also highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys romance with relatable characters who face very realistic challenges. Read the first two books in the series though so that you meet Quan and his cousin, Michael, who also makes an appearance in this book.

I don't have words to describe how much I loved this book. I know the author dealt with writer's block, but I understood how this truly was part memoir after reading the Author's Note. I cried hard reading Quan’s story because I felt his pain and insecurities so deeply, thinking back to the days I thought I was unworthy to be loved. My heart hurt when reading Anna’s stories because I know all too the crushing weight that comes from expectations and filial piety. How illnesses, especially invisible ones, and mental illnesses are too taboo of a subject to publicly discuss. How we don’t ask for help in Asian culture.

I desperately wanted to wrap my arms around Anna and tell her to love herself first. That it’s okay to ask for help, it’s normal to feel guilt, especially when it comes to family relationships. I wanted to tell Quan, it took me many years of learning and unlearning to love myself for who I am and that my heart disease is not a burden and should not prevent me from seeking love. I felt so deeply for these two.

All of Hoang's books are some of my favorite romance novels, BUT, The Heart Principle being much more personal and intimate. And made me grateful that we have a writer like Helen that dares not hesitate to show all the messiness that comes with life.