Principles of (E)motion follows a woman in STEM as she solves the unsolvable equation & attempts to present it to the world. Debilitating anxiety has always plagued Dr. Meg Brightwood keeping her out of the academic spot light & disappointing her father. When he steals the theorem and begins trying to take credit for the solve, Meg must figure out how to prove she is the Brain that changed the world.
I love a ladies in STEM book which is what made me want to review this one. I enjoyed hating the father character and liked the cousin. I thought the author did a great job depicting the anxiety & the exhaustion from a panic attack. I thought the story was wrapped up well and packed the punch the reader wanted.
The story itself is good. It moved very slowly for me. I was not at all invested in the romance. The relationship was not developed enough for me to have a buy in. At times it felt like two separate stories fighting for attention. I would have preferred his story not be so prevalent.
I really liked that the romance itself was not a focus. The focus was more on starting over, fighting for yourself, and not letting others make decisions for you. Define your own happiness.

at first I didn't really understand where the book was going, I was somewhat confused with the synopsis and the start of the book, but I kept reading and it actually ended up being an interesting book.
I love how the author intertwined mathematics/science, love, a bit of mystery and mental health to create this unexpected story.
I ended up rooting for the two lovebirds right from the start, and am glad it was included in this story, it gave it an extra oomph that was much needed.
I wish there was a bit more story for some characters and some parts, like the sister, she felt very one dimensional and lacked some depth, and the dad as well, I wish a bit more could've gone in to develop them further.
but all in all, I give this book a 3.5/5.

Thanks NetGalley and publishers for providing an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

I did not enjoy this one, the character was really unreliable. Since I'm so far behind I grabbed the audio and the narrator on that way overplayed the character to the point of annoyance --which is when I would normally switch back to visual reading but this main character was so unlikable that I found I had literally no interest in where this story was going.

Dr. Meg Brightwood, a brilliant mathematician suffering from intense anxiety, leaves academia to care for her aging grandmother.

Fifteen years later, the grandmother dies. In a fit of grief-induced mania, Meg solves a-thought-to-be-unsolvable math theorem. And we're off!

Meg battles more anxiety, and her manipulative and conniving father. A lost love returns.

Sara Read has crafted a compelling, relatable protaganist and given her uncommon challenges to overcome.

It's tough to categorize this book, and I'm not sure why that has to be done.

No spoilers, but I found the conclusion convincing and satisfying.

Five Stars.

In "Principles of Emotion," by Sara Read, Meg is a former mathematical prodigy, who was driven into hiding in her grandmother's house, due to severe performance anxiety. Fifteen years later, now hunkered in her dead grandmother's house, Meg solves a mathematical proof that could transform the world of mathematics, However, she is too crippled by anxiety to announce it. However, when she is reunited with an old lost love, who has his own baggage, they learn to support each other as they navigate the seemingly insurmountable hurdles of life. The story is touching and thoroughly captivating. I loved it!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC.

I felt smarter after reading this book. It must be so hard to write such a clever character and make her believable. The romance was just the right level of heat and so touching. I definitely enjoy reading a protagonist who is unique and she really stayed in my memory. Such an enjoyable read.

This was a unique romance novel, that was well written.

I received an e-ARC of the book from the publisher.

I really enjoyed this novel. Excellent writing and engaging characters pull you right in. The plot is strong, smart, and emotional. One of my favorite reads of the year!

A great read, the story of Meg and Isaac. I wanted everything to work out for them both. Looking forward to more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of Principles of Emotion.

I enjoyed the STEM focus of the book but I just couldn’t connect to the characters.

Who knew that a novel about math and plagiarism could be so riveting?

There’s no debating that Dr. Meg Brightwood is a genius. For decades, she’s been working on an impossible mathematical problem, and now she’s solved it!

But she feels like anything but a success. She’s chosen a man’s field full of sexism. Plagued by anxiety attacks, she’s terrified of presenting in public. The result of that formula? For the last decade, she’s lived the life of a recluse at her aunt’s house.

Now, her beloved aunt has passed away, and she needs to move out of the only place she’s felt safe. She’s solved the impossible theorem, but she needs a new life plan. Enter Isaac Wells, carpenter, lifelong crush and now fugitive from the law.

Meg embarks on a risky, passionate love affair, that may be what she needs to break out of her shell and embrace life. If only it were that easy! She’s embarking on a journey of math, love, a battle against plagiarism and the law.

I stayed up most of the night reading Principles of Emotion. Meg Brightwood is a smart, relatable, and credible character, put in a dire situation. I just had to know what happened. I suspect you will feel the same way.

If you enjoyed the STEM focused badass heroine in Lessons in Chemistry, give Principles of (e)motion a try!

Dr. Meg Brightwood is an amazing mathematician who has spent her life in her father's shadow, but she is far more academic than her dad is. The thing though is that Meg has panic attacks and presenting in front of others causes her to break down. When the pressure got too much, she escaped to live with her Aunt and when her Aunt got sick, she became her carer. While at the same time busy working on what was called "The Impossible Theorem". Finally, after 15 years, she has figured it out and solved the equation. This is the paper that will help her make history and a name for herself if only she has the confidence to present in front of a room. Families are a tricky thing though as everyone knows her father as this brilliant Professor, what happens when her father steals her research and tries to pass it off as her own? Can Meg with the help of her cousin and a fellow female academic, help Meg get back her research and finally stand up to her father? This is the year for Meg as not only does she get her breakthrough in the academic world, but she is also about to embark on a romantic relationship with a blast from her past who has turned back up in the house opposite hers. If you love STEM novels and geeky female characters that are on the awkward, nerdy side like most of us readers, then Sara Reads's - Principles of E(motion) is the read for you and one to be added to your 2024 reading lists. It's one maths equation, we readers won't be discouraged to read and look at.

Principles of (E)motion was a fun and satisfying read -- and I think it's even better than Lessons in Chemistry. The book follows Meg, a math genius as she grieves the loss of her grandmother and returns to her own work after years of caretaking. Meg solves the "impossible theorem" but has to fight through panic and anxiety in order to share her significant findings with the world.

Author Sara Read made me feel all the feels with this one -- the thrill and satisfaction of doing one's life work, the visceral rage as Meg faces specific obstacles I don't want to spoil, and the hot and spicy feelings as Meg reconnects with love interest Isaac. Also, we are treated to a dreamy setting: an historic mansion with a curved tower office (seriously, who wouldn't covet a space like this to do their life's work?), and a remote mountain cabin that's off-the-grid for reconnecting with

There was a twist I did see coming (well, because it's in the jacket copy), and a twist that I didn't. As a scientist I related to the interesting interplay between self/identity and work, and success/failure. Highly recommend.

I love a good feminist novel and women in the mathematics field is underrepresented. I really enjoyed the discussion of academia and mathematics world and related to Meg. However, the other characters felt very underdeveloped.

I’ve seen this compared to Ali Hazelwood because there is STEM in this but I really think Read paves her own way with these characters. I also have anxiety and Meg’s struggle with it was so spot on. It was completely relatable and it was great to see anxiety represented on the page like this.

Dr. Meg Brightwood is a mathematical genius and clinically anxious. She spends 15 years hiding from the world, caring for her grandmother, and trying to solve an unsolvable theorem. But when the impossible happens, it brings chaos and change into her life.

Meg’s anxiety makes reading the beginning of the story a little anxious. However Meg and her love interest Isaac are such likeable underdogs that their journey, growth and triumph is sweet.

I loved this book and it’s going to be a 2024 favorite for me. I can’t wait to recommend this to library patrons and I think it will be a good fit for those who enjoy reading stories by Emily Henry.

5 stars.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for an advance readers copy of this book.

I was drawn to this book due to the FMC being involved in STEM. Meg has been attempting to solve a mathematics formula for over 15 years, but just as she finds things may be going her way things become even more complicated. As she can't trust her family for support, an old friend comes back to town but he also has demons of his own that he's hiding from.

I liked Meg, but I didn't love her character. I found myself getting easily bored with the novel and often found the subplots distracting and unnecessary. I wish there was more of a focus on the STEM aspect of Meg's life as it seemed very brushed over.

Overall I found this to be a relatively short and easy read with a second chance romance and interesting plot.

A middle aged math genius with crippling anxiety and panic attacks solves a world changing equation after devoting twenty years of her life to it in this newest book from Sara Read. I really enjoyed the female STEM rep, the great mental health rep, the second chance romance and the FMC's journey to fight stand up for herself when her father tries to take credit for her achievement. Great on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Ali Hazelwood or Jen Devon. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Steam level: some open door scenes

CW: depression, anxiety, panic attacks + side characters with drug and alcohol addiction and bipolar disorder

This book was a JOURNEY. I felt absolutely vindicated on Meg’s behalf as she worked through difficult family dynamics, and simultaneously confused by the lack of backstory provided to Isaac and Meg. There were points in the story where I felt I was missing context, but appreciated the single POV that really let you understand what was going on behind the curtain in Meg’s brain. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing team for the advanced reader copy.

Dr. Meg Brightwood is a math genius and a child prodigy. Her father mentored her in the world of academia and pushed her to mathematical heights. Kept in solitude, studying when girls her age were having sleepovers and reading fantasy novels, Meg now lives with crippling social anxiety and chronic depression. When she finally solves "The Impossible Theorem" her work is stolen. In a field where men climb higher and women couldn't possibly be that smart, she has the battle of her life to secure her work and prove her worth.

In her corner is the one guy she met in her youth. Isaac Wells, was a young carpenter who did odd jobs around her grandmother's house where she lived. He was a friend and first crush who returned her feelings but the chasm between their circumstances was too big back then.

As I read Meg's struggles I got a fair share of anxiety myself! She's brave, and brilliant. Yearning to be "normal" Meg strives to become the woman she's always thought she could be and to live on her own terms. Her cousin, Lizzie, is the very best of sidekicks. A captivating story for this character driven reader.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.