This one was a hard read - rather much more about the main character's revelation into her own neural divergence than a fun-loving romance (which isn't necessarily reflected by the cover). Good insights into how the many different shades of autism can affect the many different facets of relationships.

it is to my greatest dismay that I announce I did not enjoy this book as much as I hoped/expected to 😭

knowing quan’s personality from the previous books, I mistakenly believed that this would be the most lighthearted, fun book of the series. it was in fact the opposite. the storyline was extremely heavy from start to finish, and judging by the author’s note, it dealt with issues very personal to the author, and I respect them so much for that.

however, a lot of the many plot points this book explored seemed underdeveloped to me, and a few were just very random in general. on a personal note, the biggest obstacle in this book for one of the main characters was overbearing family members, and that is always a miss for me unfortunately. and to make matters worse, this plot point overshadowed the romance in a big way.

this last(?) installment didn’t ruin the series for me, and I didn’t hate it at all, but it was a lackluster conclusion, and disappointing because Quan’s story had the absolute potential to be the best of all. I feel like his story was clearly set up in the other two books, and it ended up going in the complete opposite direction that I was expecting it to go.

I’d say my overall enjoyment of this book was between 2.5 - 3 stars.

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC copy of this book available to me.

While this was a perfectly satisfying read for me, it just didn't quite get to me quite as much as the previous two books in the series. It still did an interesting job portraying people on the autistic spectrum and the issues involved in discovering the diagnosis post-childhood. Looking forward to whatever comes next from this author.

The Heart Principle wrecked me. I have no other words to describe it. Helen Hoang wrote with such raw emotion and authenticity. I was incredibly moved throughout the entire book... and then to read her author's note at the end... I was in tears.

After reading the summary, I started the book expecting it to go in one direction and it went a completely different way - and I was more than pleased. When Anna's boyfriend decides he wants to "take some time to make sure she's the one" she's encouraged by her friends to attempt something new: one night stands. According to her friends, this is a good opportunity to take chances without a lot of personal risk (aka embarrassment) involved. From that description, I expected to read about a fair amount of gratuitous hook ups and superficial relationships until Anna finally meets "The One." What I found was something so much deeper and way more meaningful.

Anna and Quan are so lovely together. The way he cares for her and the way she opens up to him is really so beautiful. Hoang writes of Anna's and Quan's respective journeys to love and accept themselves. Self-care, awareness, mental health, and acceptance are all themes throughout the book, but Hoang manages to advocate without preaching. As the parent of a child with special needs (even though every person and every need is different), I felt like I could see my child in parts of this book and even more, it helped me understand my child better just by reading. Helen Hoang has written a book that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming - the emotions are real, the journey is real, and The Heart Principle is absolutely worth reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! I burned through this book in two days and once again this author does not disappoint. I love that Helen Hoang writes neurodivergent characters and allows for love to unfold, even with neurotypical partners. She doesn't shy away from the challenges, but she also accentuates the beauty. In this novel, quirks are celebrated, and this is something that everyone benefits from. Full disclosure, these romances DO include bedroom scenes, so depending on your comfort level, a few pages might make you blush. This novel goes deeper than her first two, and it is wonderful to see how adept the author is at mixing romance with important family issues (siblings, dealing with expectations, caring for someone at their end of life).

First, thanks to Netgalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars. I wanted to love this book. Overall I liked the series but “The Bride Test” was by far my favorite. In “The Heart Principle” there just wasn’t much conflict between the couple! Anna and Quan were too understanding and mature! Which sounds dumb but they both were dealing with some hard circumstances that definitely could’ve created conflict between them but when they each found out about each others’ issue they were so great about it! I know that’s the mature way but it’s boring! I want some angst! And I understand the author wrote this in first person because the subject matter was so personal to her but I struggled with it. Because we got Quan and Anna’s point of view there was never any question of their feelings for each other. I like a little mystery.

Overall I think the series is great because it’s important to see stories about all different people. And don’t forget it’s a romance and there are graphic sex scenes.

In this quieter and more melancholy but still compelling novel, a woman with autism and anxiety struggles to find her way between the demand of her disapproving family and the first real experience with love. Lovely but a bit more challenging and less joyful than Hoang's previous work.

Every once in a long while a book comes along that is so good that it ruins you for all other books. Helen Hoang's THE HEART PRINCIPLE is one of those profoundly magnificent books. Superbly written, it's both heartwarming and heart wrenching - often at the same time.

Anna has spent her life being someone she's not. The perfect daughter. The perfect sister. The perfect girlfriend. The perfect musician. But none of it is reciprocated, until a one-night-stand, an unexpected diagnosis, and a family crisis changes everything.

THE HEART PRINCIPLE has several funny moments, but don't expect a rom-com or a light contemporary romance. It will make you angry. It will make you sad. It will make you proud. This novel is an immersive experience. An emotionally raw journey. A staggering triumph. And, yes, a satisfying conclusion.

Oh gosh I am so torn between 4 and 5 stars on this one. I'm sure on my re-read it will go to 5 but right now I'm feeling 4.

The good
- Quan and Anna were just amazing. I loved them together but I equally loved them as individuals.
- The autism rep I thought was really well done. This series has been able to represent the diversity within the spectrum with Stella, Khai, and now Anna. A+
- I've already said it but Q U A N is the new superstar of my heart.
- I really loved this story and romance.

The less good
- The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is that the last 20-ish% felt more fiction than romance. Not in a bad way - just not what I was expecting.
- After TKQ and TBT I was not expecting this book to be 1st person! That kind of threw me.

Final thoughts
I have been SOOOOOOOOO excited for this book and it did NOT disappoint!

I am a huge fan of the first two books in this series and was anxiously awaiting the release of this book. It did NOT disappoint. The Heart Principal deals with tough topics (burnout, anxiety, autism), but we finally get to see Quan’s love story. An excellent read!

https://k8noonie.wixsite.com/morningnoonannight/post/the-heart-principle

Here is a link to my full review.

This book is perfection. It flows smoothly with the 2 previous installments. Helen Hoang is a refreshing voice in romance fiction. Request it. Read it. Buy it for your patrons. Buy it for yourself. Buy it for your friends. I read in one sitting, thanks to Hoang's storytelling and a rainy Memorial Day weekend.

Thank you to Berkley, NetGalley and Helen Hoang for the advance review copy—all opinions are my own!

It’s been a long time since I read something so raw, vulnerable, and searingly emotional. THE HEART PRINCIPLE touched me deeply as an autistic person and creator, as a lover of hard won happy endings, and honest portrayals of the work of love—love for ourselves and the ones we give our hearts to.

“Before, I played just because I loved it,” I say finally. “No one cared about me. No one even knew I existed. Other than my family and boyfriend and coworkers and such. And I was fine with that. I liked that. Now…people have expectations, and I can’t stand knowing that I might disappoint them.”

I’m terrified that if I slip, if I fail, everyone will stop loving me, and where will I be then?

“I think you’ve forgotten why you play,” she says gently. “Or more precisely, who you play for.”

This story is, by Helen’s own words in her author note, part memoir, and very bravely excavates the deep vulnerability, fear, and pain we can experience as creators. Anna is hurting when we meet her and struggling to function. She’s got a steady boyfriend who suddenly wants an open relationship, a strained family relationship, and compulsions threatening her ability to keep her career afloat. Joy is hard for her to find, and she seems deeply lonely.

Enter Quan, who she connects with when she decides that if her boyfriend’s going to do this open relationship she’s going to, too. They match on a dating app and what follows is sweetly realistic, adorkable chemistry that’s equal parts awkward, tender, vulnerable, and sexy. I loved these two—Anna’s earnest desire to connect with Quan and find a way to share intimacy, Quan’s patience with the time Anna needs to do that, his willingness to share his own vulnerability while making space for hers, and his desire to support Anna as she goes through a painful season when her father becomes seriously ill and dependent on home care.

This is story portrays a hard road to happily ever after that moved me and spoke to the parts of me that often want to hide from the world of romance, because it feels too bleak. But Helen has given us a gift, a story that gives us permission to have dark days, weeks, months, years, and still believe in sharing love with someone. THE HEART PRINCIPLE ends rooted in hope that even when we struggle and hurt and grieve, love is ours to know; love is patient with us, love knows us. Love loves us, exactly where we are.

Content Warnings: anxiety, depression, panic attacks, masking autism, ableism, cancer (past, not on page), suicidal ideation, toxic family, parental illness that renders them dependent on home care, death of parent, caretaking, burnout.

What a moving, loving, visceral book. This shows the potential of the genre! I was so impressed, even more so after I read the Author’s Note. I have had a hard time with attention lately, and I read this book in one sitting.

The arcs of both Quan and Anna are so real and thoughtful and emotional. This is not to be missed.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the chance to read this wonderful book.

Wow, I devoured this book in one sitting. It was extremely emotional and the author's note at the end was almost as powerful as the story. I remember reading the description of this third installment years ago and it definitely was changed, but I'm glad. There were a lot of elements I wasn't expecting, but Helen Hoang crafts characters in such a beautiful way that transformed my reading into a poignant journey (does that even make sense?! I'm very emotional right now). Easily one of my favorite books. Quan deserves the world and so does Anna. Simply...WOW.

I obviously was ecstatic when I received the email letting me know that I had been approved for The Heart Principle on NetGalley. Although I haven't screamed about it in a while, The Kiss Quotient still holds its spot as one of my favorite romances of all time. I also adored Quan in the first two companion books, so I was extremely excited to get his story!

What I knew about the book going into it was not much. I was aware that Quan and Anna met for a one night stand, which didn't go as planned, so they tried again.... and again..... and again. I thought it was going to be a cute romance, where there are several disaster dates that bond them and it would be all smiles and sunshine. I was warned that some big conflict was going to come up and complicate things, but since that tends to happen in every romance, I didn't really focus on that aspect. But I should have. Because this book ended up taking a very different turn than I expected.

I'm going to be completely honest right now, there were times when I was reading this book that I genuinely wanted to give it two stars. But not because it was bad! I want to make that very clear. There was never a time where I thought the book was bad, or that it didn't capture my interest completely! Rather, this book dealt with some really difficult topics, and I wanted to cry from the pain and frustration that Anna was dealing with at times. And since I was expecting a cute romance, I got mad at the book for making me feel so many intense and heartbreaking emotions. Eventually I was able to readjust my expectation and just marvel that a book could make me feel so fiercely, and I ultimately rated this book on what it was, rather than what I expected.

I think what ultimately made this book work for me, is that everything I was feeling throughout the book was purposeful and deliberate. This book was expertly written, and there was never a time where I felt like something was thrown in just for drama. In her author's note, Helen Hoang mentions that this book is part memoir, and you could tell. I definitely felt like I was living through a real life experience, which in a way, I was. A semi-fictionalized version, but a true story nonetheless.

This book deals with illness of various forms, toxic family, unhealthy patterns of behavior, and so much more. Anna's family made me want to scream with frustration. I hated who she became around her family, a feeling which only became stronger as the book progressed. Part of what hit me so hard was that this behavior felt so realistic, and it hurt me to think about anyone having to box up 95% of themselves just to be the person their family wants them to be.

Another character that I may have hated even more than Anna's family is Julian, Anna's boyfriend at the start of the story. I despise him with every fiber of my being. While other characters treat Anna terribly, they do so with the best of intentions for the most part. Julien on the other hand was thinking only of himself, and quite honestly made me uncomfortable with how little he cared about Anna's comfort or emotional well-being. What makes Julien's mistreatment so strikingly obvious is how fantastically Quan cares for Anna.

Quan is caring and thoughtful and wonderful, which I already knew from his cameos in The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test, but those characteristics are even more on display in this book. Even though Quan's storyline takes a bit of a back seat to Anna's, it was lovely to see him grow and overcome some challenges. Plus, his relationship with Michael is absolutely the best thing ever, and I loved every moment they spent together in this book!

Lastly I want to mention how I very much appreciated how therapy was portrayed in this book. Anna has a therapist that she goes to, but she's not taking full advantage of therapy at first, which I think is very realistic. I also found it realistic how at some points she was too overwhelmed with the things going on to even talk things through with her therapist. But besides for being extremely realistic, there was always this thread of the therapist being there and caring for Anna, regardless of whether she took advantage of it. For a book that's so heavy, I appreciated the fact that we always knew there was someone there for Anna if she needed it.

I gave this book 4 stars in the end! I really enjoyed it, but would recommend checking out trigger warnings before reading this one. It was a very powerful, slightly dark, and wonderfully crafted book though, and I can't wait to see what Helen Hoang writes next!

I was not expecting this. I didn't think The Heart Principle would hit so hard, but it really did. I wasn't ready for this book. I felt so overwhelmed while reading it, but my goodness... I loved it so much. I wouldn't be surprised if this ended up being my top read of 2021.

Anna Sun is a violinist who is struggling. After going viral in a YouTube video she's felt the pressure and it's building and building each and every day. In all aspects of her life she feels this way, but especially when it comes to the violin. Quan is struggling as well, but in a different way. After a health scare/medical procedure, he's not felt 100% like himself. They're both coping in different ways.

When Anna and Quan meet, neither are in the best place, Anna specifically. Quan never judges Anna for this. He never expects anything or asks for more than she can give and he was the most patient man. So genuine, real, and exceptional. Quan is an incredible guy. The romance of this book wasn't always the primary focus, but it was a big part of the story and such a gorgeous part.
Anna's story is so multifaceted and there were parts that were so relatable to me, and other parts that weren't at all. My heart broke for her. A big part of this book shows Anna struggling with caregiver burn out and essentially feeling forced to do this caregiving when it doesn't feel natural to her. I personally am a natural caregiver. It was easy for me to decide to be a nurse. It's not always an easy job and it can be even harder taking care of your own loved ones. There were times in this book I cried for Anna. Caregiving is such a hard job and making decisions for your loved ones when they can't is one of the hardest things ever.

Reading the authors note at the end and hearing from Helen and how much she could relate to Anna, especially the mental health aspect of her story just made me respect Hoang more. How brave is it to put that part of your life, the hardest part, out there and share it with us. It's important to talk about and I'm so glad that Helen did. Anna's story wasn't always easy to read, but her growth was inspirational and I loved watching her soar.

With every Helen Hoang book I read, I'm blown away more and more. She is such a talented writer and the stories she brings to life are all unique, real, and stunning. The Heart Principle is her best work to date. It's raw, heart wrenching, healing, beautiful, and powerful. This book was everything and is a must read for all readers. Trust me, it's worth the tears!

This book was SO TENDER. My heart was singing and breaking all at the same time and Quan and Anna were there to put it back together. I think this is my favorite Helen Hoang book so far. It's not as steamy as the other ones, but I think that makes it better. Just so wonderfully tender and sweet.

I love everything Helen Hoang writes and this is no exception! This one is perhaps a bit darker than the other two in this series, but the characters are well-rounded and the emotion is palpable.

I enjoyed many aspects of Helen Hoang's latest novel, particularly how she writes herself into the main character. The ending seemed elongated, but I still give 4 stars because her humor and connection with her characters are stellar.

Charming, sweetly funny and sad. Warm, witty, engaging. All my favorite books end too soon and this was no exception. Anna and Quan are delightful, fully realized and just jump off the page. Annas' family is also fully developed but that is to their shame. There is too much in this book to sum it up in a review so I will just tell you
to read it. The surrounding characters are wonderful, the dialogue is realistic but also new to me. I lost track of everything once I started to read their story and that is my biggest joy in reading.