Anna Sun is trying to recover her violin career. A viral YouTube video, propelled her to new heights and the ground is too shaky. Burned out, and in therapy, her longtime boyfriend announces he wants to take a break and date others, before making a final commitment. Anna decides that she too needs a string of one-night stands. Quan Diep is a cancer survivor and he too needs to dip back into the dating pool. Their first attempt at a one-night stand fails, as does their second, and their third. But as they spend more time together Quan decides that he wants a real relationship. When family tragedy strikes, they must find a new balance.

Why I started this book: Hoang is on my automatic buy list, and also my stalk Netgalley list.

Why I finished it: This story was a little bit more about learning to grow, and finding yourself, and giving yourself grace to break family habits then a strict romance.... but that is classic Hoang. She elevates her characters above tropes and the story shines all the more for it. Read it, cry over it, and then reread it. That's what I did.

Helen Hoang never fails to write some of the most beautiful books I have ever read. Even when tackling harder or difficult subjects, mental health and family relationships, she does it with such grace and skill.

The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang, for release August 31

“A woman struggling with burnout learns to embrace the unexpected—and the man she enlists to help her—in this heartfelt new romance by USA Today bestselling author Helen Hoang.”

Wow. This book. It hit me in the gut (in the best way). The Heart Principle is a heartfelt, tender, and authentic character-driven story that reminds us we are all worthy of love.

❤️Anna’s story hit close to home on levels I never expected. Her experience with burnout and masking her autism was so raw and powerful. I’m not sure there are words to describe how beautiful of a job Hoang did writing her character, her journey, and allowing us to connect with her.

❤️I absolutely adored Quan’s character. He’s one of the most sensitive, patient, nurturing heroes I’ve read. Their flirty banter in the beginning was so adorable and had me smiling hard.

❤️As you know, I’m a sucker for first person POV and felt it served this story so well. Both characters were so rich and layered, they truly felt like living, breathing people.

❤️The portrayal of burnout both professionally and as a result of caring for family members was simply 👌🏼

This book is certainly not a light rom com, but it is truly special ❤️ Thank you so much to Helen and Berkley for access to this truly amazing ARC.

Helen Hoang has done it again!! The Heart Principle is a magnificent read from start to finish. I adored Anna and loved to see Quan again!!

"The Heart Principle" by Helen Hoang
The Kiss Quotient #3
Release Date: 8.31.2021

Violinist Anna Sun goes viral on YouTube and suddenly gains career success! Trying to maximize on that success, Anna feels burnt out and tired. Then, her longtime boyfriend decides he wants an open relationship. Anna decides if that's the case, she's going to enjoy relationships with many men. She joins a dating app, and it matched with someone much different from her.

Quan Diep is tattooed and rides a motorcycle, focusing on his kids' apparel business. They begin texting, talking about a documentary they both watched. He is the perfect one-night stand. However, their multiple attempts fail, probably because Quan is more than just a one-night stand. They understand each other, despite their differences. While Anna is adjusting to her diagnosis of ASD and caring for her terminally ill parent, Quan's regaining his confidence after kicking cancer's ass. They begin to lean on each other to

Written in first person, unlike Ms. Hoang's previous two novels in this series, it made the book seem more personal. Anna and Quan are both genuine characters working through a lot. This book addresses grief, cancer, care taking, mental health, and so much more! I enjoyed Ms. Hoang's other books, but this one is my absolute favorite!

Thank you, @netgalley, for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest opinion.



#bookstagrammer #bookstagram #netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleybooks #2021bookreleases #contemporaryromance #theheartprinciple #heartprinciple #helenhoang #thekissquotient #thekissquotient3

I love this book. I fall in love with Hoang's writing a little bit more with every book she publishes. I think that some might find it to be untraditional for the contemporary romance, but I found the book to be so refreshing, heartfelt, and lovely. I would give it more stars if I could!

** ARC provided by Berkley Publishing Group through NetGalley ***

The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang is the best book I have read so far this year! The story was captivating, but it was the characters that kept me reading and from putting the book down. The book has just the right amount of spice, sympathetic characters, believable family dynamics, and the portrays the contemporary challenges of finding a match without “settling” or losing oneself. I appreciated the sensitive and realistic portrayal of neurodiversity, how autism manifests in women, and the experience of being diagnosed in adulthood.

I’ve now read all three of the Kiss Quotient books and this book, and the character of Anna, is my favourite.

I’ve personally had a really challenging time with finding and finishing leisure reading during COVID. This is one of a number of recent reads that have helped me get back on track and I could not be happier.

Be sure to read the Author’s Note at the end of the book to learn why we waited for this third book and insights into Helen Hoang’s journey.

#NetGalley #TheHeartPrinciple

I've greatly enjoyed this series as a whole, but this third entry, while a good book, almost doesn't seem to fit in with the series. Anna's story, romance aside, is fantastic, heartfelt, and authentically written. The romance with Quan is not as strong as the more contemporary fiction feel of Anna's solo story to me. In the previous entries, Quan was a character that I wanted to know more about and I was excited to meet him further here. His story here is not as fleshed out as I would've wanted for him.

"The Heart Principle" by Helen Hoang (is a fantastic writer - ever read "The Kiss Quotient?), follows Anna Sun, a violinist who is struggling, after going viral. The pressure for her to succeed is growing and growing, Of course, Quan is also facing his own struggles (medical scare) that is just so heartbreaking.
I never expected to feel so much for Anna. Her story is multifaceted and relatable, but also pieces that are completely her own pain, fears, and pressures. my heart truly broke for her. I rooted for her throughout the entire story. This was tender and painful and filled with so much heart. Utterly gorgeous.

Thank you so much, Netgalley and Berkley for the ARC for exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+ 5/5 although I wish I could give it more stars.


Ok. I think this is the best book I have read all year—and y’all, I have read some amazing books. Below are my reactions to this book, and nothing more spoiler-y than what you’d read in the synopsis.

The Heart Principle features Anna, a professional musician caught in the throes of self doubt and perfectionism, and Quan, the loveable character we’ve seen in The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test. Quan has gone through some major life changes and Anna is newly in an open relationship thats she’s not totally on board with. Together, they struggle through their new realities and discover new parts of themselves through a heart wrenching and emotional journey.

THP is hands down my favorite Helen Hoang book to date. While there is a lot of fun, dorky, and laugh out loud moments in this book, there’s also some very serious topics surrounding mental health and being a caregiver. I’m a professional musician and my family is currently going through the caregiving stage of life with several relatives, and this book cracked my heart open and healed it in ways I didn’t even know I needed right now. It was extremely raw and emotional and I am just in awe of it, and so grateful that Helen Hoang has created this work of art to share with the world.

When you read this, please be sure to read the Author’s Note at the end of the book too. It’s incredibly impactful.

Utterly amazing and highly recommend. The Heart Principle comes out August 31💜

There is a part of me that doesn't consider this a romance, but rather a (partly fictionalized) memoir about being diagnosed late in life with autism, having imposter syndrome, and ones' journey about accepting yourself, even if the people close to you don't. I loved it so much for entirely different reasons than Hoang's earlier two books. I was in a state of being constantly teary eyed while reading this, and I tore through it in less than two days. There is a bigger focus on the descent of Anna's mental health and the spiral towards rock bottom than the uplift. And while there is a happy ending, it's still an emotional rollercoaster for sure, and is on a whole other level than The Kiss Quotient or The Bride Test.

There are romantic elements (QUAN) and some sweet romantic moments, but the star is Anna. There were instances where being in her mind often hit close to home and prompted my taking a short break from reading. The raw emotion, experience and empathy Hoang has comes screaming across (just reading the author's note induced another round of tears).

In sum, please read it.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was not at all what I was expecting from Helen Hoang. The romance between Quan and Anna is still stunning, but compared to her first two novels, this one is a lot heavier.

I couldn't put the The Heart Principle down - it's definitely a timely look at burnout in our COVID-19 world; particularly autistic burnout, but also professional burnout and caregiver burnout, as well. In the author's note at the end, we find out that Anna's story is very similar to Helen's real life experience, and you can absolutely tell how personal it is by the writing.

Well I've already bought my pre-order so yall already know it's a GOODIE!!

4.5 ⭐️ for me
*NetGalley e-ARC*

Yall. When I say you need to read this book... YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK!!

I really enjoyed The Bride Test, so I had high hopes for this book and Miss Helen did not disappoint!! At first I was worried because the note from the publisher said that this book was different. That it was special. It wasn't anything like the previous two books. And at 50% I had no idea what they were talking about! This seemed like the same Helen Hoang who I always connect with, and enjoy reading.. so what made it different?

At around 75% I found out.

This isn't to say nothing happens until 75%. Yall know Miss Helen Hoang will never disappoint us (okay we need our SMUT)- what amazes me is how she can create these vulnerable characters, each with something important and heart wrenching to bring to the table, AND MAKE US FALL IN LOVE.

In the last two books, I was okay about Quan. He was the cute, player-ish older brother to Khai and bff cousin to Michael. He was okay. Obviously a good guy, but I didn't feel a need to know him.

*Enter The Heart Principle*

Quan is such a complex, and layered character- I love him. I feel honored to know him. I'm so glad I read his story here! And on top of that, Anna is such a joy to relate to- like I feel you girl, I FEEL YOU.

All in all, I don't want to give too much away because *spoilers* but if you haven't read these books (The Kiss Quotient, The Bride Test, and The Heart Principle), you are missing out. I personally feel that each of these books gives readers such a clear view of autism spectrum disorder and just how different it can look in different people. I love Hoang more and more with each book I read, and I'm just so happy that there is a perspective like this in literature for people to experience for themselves. Thank you Miss Hoang for writing these books!! (I'm gonna go cry happy tears now)

xx
-Christine

The Heart Principle was so very good. I could tell from the beginning that this third book by Helen Hoang was different that the other two in the series in that it was much more personal and I really loved that about it.

Anna is a professional violinist who is in a creative rut. She’s seeing a therapist but she can’t seem to play through an entire piece because of her need for it to be perfect. When her therapist suggests that she might be autistic it rocks Anna’s world but also gives her comfort in knowing why she sees the world a little differently.

Quan is in remission from cancer + surgery that left him feeling inadequate and struggles to find happiness in anything other than work. When his cousin Michael suggests that he try a dating app Quan agrees even though he’s pessimistic. Surprisingly he runs across Anna’s profile and thinks she might be just right for him.

Wow. This book hit me hard. I expected that there would be beautiful neurodiversity representation and that it would tackle some serious issues. But it was so much more.

Quan has changed since the end of The Bride Test. After a serious medical issue, he no longer feels like himself and has lost some of his confidence. Meanwhile, Anna is struggling in her job as a violinist, and her boyfriend declares that they will switch to an open relationship. I loved that Quan and Anna found each other through a dating app. It's such a common way to meet people now and yet one I don't regularly see reflected in romance novels.

This books features the journeys that both Quan and Anna go through. It's about so much more than their chemistry or relationship with each other. Anna needs to find her voice and learn to be true to herself instead of masking who she is to appease others. Although the story focuses more on Anna, Quan has to come to a sense of his own value after his struggles. The book described a difference between tough love and compassion or self-compassion in a way that made me teary. And I don't usually cry at books.

But it also goes so far beyond that. For a non-spoiler summary, I will say this book is heart wrenching and powerful. I both had to put it down to process and couldn't tear myself away. When I finished reading, I called my family because we had to discuss some of what came up for me. Part of that is because of things that were happening in my life when I read the book, but a lot is about The Heart Principle itself. This is not a light romance novel.

It's hard to do this book justice in a review. I hope I have conveyed that it is incredibly special. It's also quite different from Helen Hoang's previous books. Though this is the third in a series, you can absolutely read it as a stand alone.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

4.5/5 rounded up

TW: cancer, stroke, end of life care, burnout, suicidal ideation

Yes, this is a super-spicy, fun romance, but it is also a sensitive and compassionate portrayal of a young woman who has been recently diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum. Her diagnosis makes sense to her, and it causes things to start to fall in place for her. She recognizes that she's been struggling with trying to "fit in" and "be normal" for her entire life. Love this book and can't wait to recommend it to readers.

FINALLY! The Heart Principle is the newest book in the kiss quotient series. I've been eager to get to this one from the start of the series!

What I Loved:
- I think out of all the female leads so far, Anna has been my favorite (and it's not just her name I adore). I really related to Anna's struggles to express her emotions at the fear of disappointing others, especially her family. I really appreciated that Anna was, again, another autism representation and discovered her diagnosis in the book.
- Quan. Need I say more? I've been drawn to his character since book 1 and was so excited to see him as the main male character in The Heart Principle. I adore the way Helen Hoang has shown us male characters that are respectful, communicative and sensitive to consent.
- The Heart Principle has the most complex issues out of all three books. Anna's role as a caretaker gave her guilt and sorrow that was unimaginable.

What Didn't Work for Me:
- Literally nothing. I loved this book and have no complaints.

My only caution is make sure you don't go into this book expecting it to be light and steamy the entire time. There's plenty of fun, humor and good steam, but there are some heavy emotions and topics scattered throughout. I really enjoyed that depth, but I think it's worth mentioning this is a little different. Always read the author's notes at the end of these books. It's touching to hear the personal mentions from Helen Haong and her experiences.

Swoon Rating: 5/5
Steam Rating: 4/5

I really enjoyed reading The Heart Principle. The story was romantic and sweet and hard to put down. Like any good story there has to be something that creates conflict. In this story it was definitely Anna's circumstances and family. At some points it seemed a bit over the top cruel. What helped me bring everything into perspective was the Afterword. Don't skip it! Overall another great book by Helen Hoang.

First things first- per the publicist "𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘘𝘶𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘛𝘦𝘴𝘵. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘢𝘸 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥-𝘸𝘰𝘯 𝘏𝘌𝘈."

I couldn't agree more. I read this in late May and here I am nearly 2 months later still trying to put my thoughts and feelings into words. Is it enough to say that it wasn't what I expected and I loved it?

It's not a light, easy book. It's a romance, to be sure, but that element felt secondary (but no less lovely) to bigger issues. At the forefront is an introspective look at family dynamics, mental health, autism, self acceptance and caregiver burnout. But it also has so much love and so much heart.

Written with candor.
Characters to root for.
Emotional storytelling.
Win.Win.Win.

The long-awaited third installment in Helen Hoang's Kiss Quotient series is (finally) Quan's story. It's also the only one in the series to be told in alternating first person, rather than third person, which Hoang's author note says is because of how personal this story was to her. I didn't notice the change at first, but I definitely felt like I was in the characters' heads, and Hoang has clearly put a lot of her own heart into this book and Anna in particular.

Anna is a violin prodigy who can't play anymore, and she's not sure why. Meanwhile, her fiance tells her he wants an open relationship before they get married, so she sets out to find a one-night-stand. But when she meets up with Quan, a motorcycle-riding, rough-around-the-edges guy, things don't go to plan, and the two end up spending more time together.

This is really Anna's story, even though Quan gets half the narrative. She has the most emotional growth, and solid Quan has to learn how to be there for her. TW: a major part of the plot is a parent with a terminal condition. I was emotionally wrecked after reading, but mostly in a good way.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.