A woman struggling with burnout learns to embrace the unexpected—and the man she enlists to help her—in this new New York Times bestselling romance by Helen Hoang. When violinist Anna Sun accidentally achieves career success with a viral YouTube video, she finds herself incapacitated and burned out from her attempts to replicate that moment. And when her longtime boyfriend announces he wants an … boyfriend announces he wants an open relationship before making a final commitment, a hurt and angry Anna decides that if he wants an open relationship, then she does, too. Translation: She’s going to embark on a string of one-night stands. The more unacceptable the men, the better.
That’s where tattooed, motorcycle-riding Quan Diep comes in. Their first attempt at a one-night stand fails, as does their second, and their third, because being with Quan is more than sex—he accepts Anna on an unconditional level that she herself has just started to understand. However, when tragedy strikes Anna’s family she takes on a role that she is ill-suited for, until the burden of expectations threatens to destroy her. Anna and Quan have to fight for their chance at love, but to do that, they also have to fight for themselves.
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Anna Sun spends her life doing everything that others want her to do. She just can’t say no. All her life she has been a little different and she has just learned how to deal with it. When violinist Anna becomes famous because of a YouTube performance, her life starts to spiral out of control. When her boyfriend of 5 years tells her he wants a temporary open relationship she is heartbroken but then ends up deciding that two can play that game! Enter Quan Diep, the sexy, tattooed, motorcycling gorgeous guy comes in! Anna wants a one-night stand with Quan but because of things from both of their pasts, it doesn’t happen. When one try turns into several tries, they decide to just slow down and take things slow. For the first time in Anna’s life, Quan actually “gets” her. When tragedy strikes Anna’s family, it is Quan that tries to help rein Anna back in. Just when it looks like Quan and Anna will get their perfect happy ending, the past comes back to haunt them. It will take a lot of soul searching by both Anna and Quan but they will finally get their happy ever after.
The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang was a sweet and sexy story that was filled with a lot of emotions. I found myself laughing one minute and then crying the next. I just wanted to hug both Anna and Quan. Separately Anna and Quan were not living their lives but were just going through the motions. Once they got together, they just made sense and you couldn’t help but root for them. Overall this was a really great story that had wonderful characters and was well written.
Helen Hoang is one of my favorite authors, and I was looking forward to reading The Heart Principle for quite some time. The Heart Principle is the third book in The Kiss Quotient series, and like previous books, it features a main character on autism spectrum, but it’s different from other books. It’s a heavier and darker read. This book has dual POVs, and reading some chapters from Anna’s point of view was very hard. I could feel her unhappiness and anguish seeping from the pages and making me very sad.
I liked Anna very much and, of course, I loved Quan, whom we met in previous books. But I despised Anna’s family, especially her sister, Priscilla. She treated Anna horribly and would sneer at Anna when she was struggling emotionally and asking for help. Quan was the one who understood and supported Anna, unlike her family. The romance between Anna and Quan was beautiful. I also appreciated the author’s note (make sure you read it). Helen Hoang poured her heart into this book, and it showed. I highly recommend The Heart Principle, just don’t go into it thinking it’s a fluffy rom-com. And check the trigger warnings.
I loved this book! I liked the other two books in this trilogy by this one was my favorite by far. Once I started listening, I didn’t want to stop. I was captivated by Anna’s journey in this book and just had to see how things would work out for her in the end. I found this to be a very entertaining and moving story.
This really felt like Anna’s story. Quan is an important character in the story and there is a romance but the heart of the story was about Anna. At the start of the book, Anna spends her days trying to be what other people expect her to be. She controls her reactions so that she fits in. She has a boyfriend that she tries hard to please despite the fact that he does not treat her well. When he decides to open up their relationship, Anna signs on a dating app to find a one-night stand for herself. She ends up finding something more with Quan.
The second half of the book switches gears and we see Anna trying to deal with her family in the middle of a tragic situation. Quan and Anna spend little time together during this part of the book but he did try to support her as much as he could. Anna has spent her life trying to be the person that her family expects her to be and they are really not interested in her new diagnosis. I felt so bad for Anna as she tried to navigate this difficult situation and be allowed to be the person she really is.
This book brought on the feels. I really felt for Anna throughout the book. It was hard to imagine her playing her violin trying for the perfection that was always just out of reach. Quan had his own challenges after having a serious health issue and dealing with some stress on the job. I thought that these two were really good together and I love how patient and caring Quan was throughout the story. Some parts of the book were more difficult to read and my heart broke for Anna.
Brian Nishii and Natalie Naudus did a fantastic job with this story. I thought that they were able to bring the story to life and I loved the voices that they both used for the various characters. I felt that they both added a lot of emotion into their narration. I believe that their narration added to my overall enjoyment of this story.
I would recommend this book to others. This book is a little different than the first two books in the series but I really appreciated what the author was able to do with Anna’s story. I will definitely be planning to read more of this author’s work in the future.
I received a review copy of this audiobook from Dreamscape Media via NetGalley.
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, Caretaker, 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.
4.5
Months ago, Anna Sun was called upon by her orchestra to perform a last-minute solo at one of their concerts. That solo performance went viral and garnered a lot of attention for Anna. Now, Anna is struggling with the expectations set forth for her by the outside world, and she’s been unable to make it all the way through a new piece written especially for her. The longer it takes, the more time she feels she’s wasting for everyone looking for her to deliver perfect, beautiful music. Then her long-term boyfriend tells her he wants an open relationship. Well, Anna is not just going to sit around while her boyfriend sees other people so she joins an online dating community where she meets Quan.
The intention is just to meet up for a one-night stand, but when that doesn’t go to plan, Anna and Quan reschedule again and again. Finally, they realize that it’s not just the promise of sleeping with the other that keeps them trying again and again, it’s that they enjoy spending time with each other. And Quan seems to understand and take Anna for who she truly is unlike her family who expect perfection without complaints.
However, when a tragedy strikes within Anna’s family and she’s called upon to step into the expectations set before her, it just may threaten the beautiful thing between Quan and Anna.
I’ve always felt like this series speaks on a very personal level which it does as author Helen Hoang pulls many of the same characteristics/situations from her own life. I think it’s because of this that this series, with The Heart Principle in particular, resonates to well.
Even if you personally don’t 100% identify with Anna, I will guarantee you there is some aspect of her character – or even Quan’s – that will make you sit up and say “yes, that’s me, I’ve been there”. I think it’s Helen Hoang’s generous and inclusive writing that makes the reader feel so seen within the pages of her stories.
Now, I say this next part with all the respect and care, for me The Heart Principle wasn’t always an easy carefree kind of read. It deals with some heavy topics and many times throughout I felt so caught up in Anna’s story that I too could feel almost the sense of smothering under the weight of having no voice.
Anna has lived much of her life not being able to fully express herself because if she does her family points the finger of imperfection at her, and she too wonders what it is that is wrong about her. She has learned to wear a “mask” of agreeability and perfection. But when her therapist diagnoses her as being on the autism spectrum, Anna finds relief in finally understanding herself. I could feel the lightness as Anna finds her strength and gains her voice throughout the story.
Along the journey, Quan provides the support that Anna sorely needs. But it’s not just one-sided. Quan, himself, has been in recovery from cancer. It was an experience that understandably and irrevocably changed him. He’s not yet sure, in the beginning, that he wants to put himself out there again. But once he meets Anna, that’s it. She takes him for who he is no preamble. I just loved how they healed those parts of each other that needed it and provided support to those parts that also needed it. I feel like we need to see more relationships like this in fiction, romance, everywhere. Just the person who so effortlessly understands you on some core level and will stand for you and by you.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. No matter the heavy subject matter, you can be guaranteed that Helen Hoang will deliver the goods.
Now, I’m looking forward to seeing where she goes next. Wherever that is, this reader will be there.
It think too much happened in this book as Quan and Anna BOTH have issues. This felt more of Anna’s story than it should have been Quan’s. I wished we saw more family dynamics again. I’m curious to see what’s next.
The narrators were good and I liked both narrations for their characters.
I received this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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 is a bit different than the first two in the series, but I still highly recommend it.
This might be the best in what has already been a fantastic series! I would read anything Helen Hoang puts out.
The Heart Principle is the third installment in Helen Hoang’s series titled The Kiss Quotient. Each book features different main characters and can be read as a standalone. Pick up any book in this series and enjoy. Simple as that. Helen Hoang continues sharing her own-voices work by including the autism spectrum in her leading lady’s character development. This book is a sexy, adult romance, yes, but it is also so much more! The heroine, Anna is struggling with autistic burnout, and her exhaustion gives readers a greater sensitivity towards the autistic community. The hero, Quan was developed with the same delicate care, bringing awareness to an issue related to men’s health and the accompanying insecurities that aren’t commonly talked about. Although Anna and Quan may mask their struggles to the world, Helen Hoang’s storytelling ensures they don’t have to pretend around each other. The trust featured in this relationship is a character in its own right and was so beautiful to read. This is a great adult romance that I highly recommend.
Thank you to the following for permitting me access to an advance digital review copy of The Heart Principle. This generosity did not impact my honesty when rating/reviewing.
Source: NetGalley
Author: Helen Hoang
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
On Sale Date: August 31, 2021
There’s something special about Helen Hoang’s writing and storytelling. I’m immediately invested with the characters and ready to go on the journey with them. I’ve felt that with the two previous books and I felt that too with The Heart Principle. Unlike the previous two this one is written in first person POV and I didn’t expect that but when I read the author’s note after I finished I now understand why.
Anna was a character I somewhat could relate to and other times not all. At times I struggled with her but I also knew why that was. Her portrayal was flawlessly done and in particular her growth was truly amazing and so inspiring.
Quan was such a wonderful character. I couldn’t wait for his story after meeting him in book 1 and 2. He lived up to my expectations and so much more. Such a kindhearted and strong soul who listened to Anna. He had some struggles too and together he and Anna just made each other blossom as the story evolved.
I would have liked more romance as I think it took a backseat to Anna and her family struggles. Still I very much enjoyed The Heart Principle. Another strong and life affirming book from Hoang.
4 Keep Fighting Stars
“Nothing I actually do can compete with the boundless potential of what I could do.”
A top favorite of the year, ‘The Heart Principle’ was a powerful story about acceptance, understanding, and struggle.
Anna was a violinist who was struggling with her newfound popularity. Suffering burnout, she found she wasn’t able to get through an entire song without stopping and criticizing herself. Ana would continue in this loop for hours, lost in the search for perfection. She struggled in other areas of her life as well. Always knowing she was different, Ana learned to wear a mask according to which social situation she found herself in. She learned how to fit in by watching others. What an exhausting venture. Her family never tried to understand her, only thinking she was lazy and admonished her for being different.
Quan was such an inspirational character. He was the epitome of empathy. He was the one who had always been there for other people. He tried hard to live up to the person other people thought he was. But after a major health procedure, Quan lost his identity as a man.
Hoang took special care in the growing of their relationship. Each had to grow in their own person before they could care for the other. The way they helped save and repair each other was incredibly inspiring and a beautiful thing to watch. The parts of Quan that he believed defined his manhood weren’t important to Ana. She loved him for his tender heart, his protective nature, and his strength. Ana needed love and support, which was something Quan had mastered.
I had goosebumps as I finished this book. All over my body, from my head to my toes. My heart was bursting with happiness how Hoang turned the qualities that others viewed as less than into glorious, beautiful, and inspiring attributes.
Helen Hoang is incredibly talented. Her books read like she is recounting the stories of real people. That’s how vibrant and fleshed out her characters are. They don’t read as fictional. It is this realness that she brings to her books that makes them so impactful, so important, and so lovable.
** spoiler alert **
I have been looking forward to Quan’s story since forever, and this book is one of my top 5 most anticipated books of 2021. Unfortunately, I’m so sad and disappointed that I didn’t love it. I understand that this story is very personal to the author, and I completely sympathize with everything she has experienced in real life that was also portrayed heavily in this book. But as a romance story, it did not deliver what I was hoping to see. It’s more of a memoir to me with some romantic elements in it, but the romance took the far back seat. It’s so different from The Bride Test, which is one of my most favorite contemporary romances of all time, that I almost felt like it was written by a different author!
As a professional violinist, Anna Sun’s rise to stardom started from a YouTube video that went viral. But under the pressure to maintain her fame, she was struggling with perfecting her music. The first half of the book was her journey from realizing her masking social behaviors leading to her Asperger’s Syndrome diagnosis and then to learning to accept it as who she was. But from 50% to 80% mark, it was all about how Anna was struggling to take care of her bedridden father who lived in and out of consciousness due to a massive stroke. I could feel her pain and heartbreak for her beloved father, her helplessness and frustration knowing he was suffering yet the family could not let him go… I know that it is not easy to take on the role of a caregiver, especially for someone who was struggling with her own mental health. However, from a character development point of view, up until 80% of the book, Anna was still pretty much the same as she was in the beginning, still a people pleaser, still masking her behaviors to reflect what others expected of her, still not opening herself up to Quan… I was dejected and frustrated at the same time up until this point!
Now, I LOVED Quan in The Bride Test! He was the caring type by nature, taking care of his mom and younger brother Khai and sister after their dad left them at the young age. He was charming, funny, smart, protective, and overall super cool and badass! He and his cousin Michael (from The Kiss Quotient) started a children apparel company where he took on the leadership role. So I was so excited and looking forward to knowing more about him. But here, we learn other sides of Quan: vulnerable and insecure (he was a testicular cancer survivor with having only one remained, and subsequently, he was infertile!) I must admit that it hurt me so much to see Quan like this. I know it’s only fictional and things like this could totally happen to someone in real life, but this turn of event still broke my heart. But okay, I could get on with it and hoped to see how he regained his self confidence and earned his well-deserved HEA. Unfortunately, his appearances were quite sparse throughout the book. After only a couple encounters with Anna, he was already in love with her! And throughout that 80% part of the book with months passed, he was strung along by Anna. He was always there for her through everything, he understood, he listened, he encouraged her to be just herself… just to end up being heartbroken by her crowd pleaser behavior. Needless to say, I felt so devastated for him!
The last 20% of the book is where they tried to change themselves for the better, separately! And only at the 90% point did Anna come to apologize to Quan and open herself up to tell him how she wanted to be loved. Once again, I do understand how much difficult for Anna to regain her footing after so much had happened in her life, but I just wish Quan had got more attention and support back as he deserved.
If you have followed me to this point, you could tell that this book is very different from The Bride Test. It lacks the charm and humor, and the positive family support vibe that I loved so much from Ms Hoang previously. Here, we see the Asian “tough love,” meaning being brutally honest is good for you even though it can hurt you (I just couldn’t stand Anna’s sister!)…, and as a Vietnamese, I can totally see it in most families, including my own. I was hoping to see Khai and their mother again, that same family love and acceptance from The Bride Test, but now for Quan. Sadly, Khai only showed up once! Basically, I felt like I didn’t see enough of Quan, and whenever he showed up, he was like the lone warrior in the battlefield. The only thing that appeased my bruised heart is to see the tight relationship between him and Michael!
Ms. Hoang’s author notes at the end always shed light into her inspiration, her own life stories, and how they were woven into the stories she’s written. My heart goes out to her for her struggles through writing this book and for other heartbreaking events happening in her life. I just want to wish her the best of health. And I hope I could see her humor and charm again in her future works. But sadly, The Heart Principle did not work for me, and it did pain me to have to give it this negative review!
*Special thanks to Berkley Publishing for sending me the ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.*
Talk about reading a book in one sitting!
This story proves once again why it was one of my most anticipated read of the year or better said years now. But I’m so happy that the author took her time because it’s just the perfect romance book that you’ll fall in love with without even realising.
I loved how everything starts and while I mightn’t be so brave as Anna to start over or just give a chance to a new experience after her douche boyfriend did what he did, I was rooting for her all the way through.
Quan was the perfect hero in every possible imaginable way. Caring , assertive and very thoughtful, he was there for Anna even when he wasn’t asked for it.
There’s a few topics that are tackled here and I love how the author managed to give them voice and true colours.
Family dynamics and interventions aren’t always the best, and while I hated her sister for so many reasons, I cheered Anna on her way to break the chain and just be herself.
I really hope we’ll get to see this series on the screen soon because it’s worthy much more than anything else.
The summary of this book does not do it justice. It is part romance, part memoir, part one woman’s journey for understanding and acceptance.
Helen Hoang’s The Heart Principle is about a woman who has spent her entire life masking, trying to parrot behavior and feelings that those around her expect of her. It has exhausted her to the point she is physically and emotionally spent.
Anna’s self empowerment journey leads her to a therapist who suggests she may be on the autism spectrum. Her story to matter, to be herself, to be enough, was raw and emotional.
Another facet of The Heart Principle is the heartbreakingly real acknowledgment of the extreme and unrelenting toll caregiving can be to someone who is assisting a chronically ill family member. It also was raw and emotional.
Near the end of Anna’s story she hopes her art makes people feel, think and have an impact. This book, this art, has made me feel, think and has been very impactful. It is a story that stays with you long after you are finished and makes you want to be more compassionate to all those around you.
Thoughts from the book that resonated:
Just because something isn’t perfect doesn’t mean you need to throw it away.
To show your love you fight no matter the cost no matter how hopeless…right?
What if the care prolongs the suffering?
Realizing your family can be toxic to your mental health and having to decide to part ways to save yourself
Stop chasing perfection, it doesn’t exist.
Be kind to yourself
I could not put this book down. I became so invested in Anna’s struggle and wanted her to achieve some measure of happiness and peace with herself, with Quan, and with her family.
Also Quan is hands down the best book boyfriend. Ever.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
**minor spoilers**
The Heart Principle is raw, emotional and so real. While this is still part of The Kiss Quotient series, this book deserves to be classified differently. This could be read as a standalone literary fiction. This is about learning who you are, accepting who you are and standing up for yourself to be treated the way you deserve. I want to briefly discuss some of the important themes found within this book, but there are so many more important discussions in this book. I just can’t write about them all in one post!
1. Mental health: Wow. I loved how real this book was. This book was told in first person, so you really connected and felt Anna and Quan’s emotions. Through Anna’s different relationships you see how they change throughout the book as Anna learns what is best for her mental health. This book discusses therapy, communicating with loved ones, saying NO, showing emotion, and asking for help. You also get to see glimpses of Quan, Anna’s mom and sister’s mental health as well.
2. Autistic spectrum relationships: I will talk about the romantic relationship, but I want to highlight that this book also focuses on important discusses relationships with family and friends The ending scene when you see who is supporting Anna in the crowd made me emotional, and I was so sad to see who wasn’t there. Anna’s conversation with her mom towards the end broke me. Quan was an amazing supportive partner, and he lets Anna be herself. Quan handled his own emotions well when thinking about how Anna was feeling. He was able to understand what Anna couldn’t say out loud. While this story deals with tough topics, this also had many heartfelt swoony moments! Some favorite scenes were when Quan said he would wear rainbows in public with Anna, when they were equally nerding out with documentaries about octopus, and my absolute favorite scene was with the butterfly garden! Helen’s dedication to her husband and kids had me in tears! *heart eyes*.
3. Caregiver burnout: This is not talked about enough. Reading this book took me back to memories of visiting my grandma in the hospital and at the rehab facility while I was in high school. I am still haunted by the memories of watching her, waiting for her to take her breath. I would visit with my mom as much as I could in the months leading up to her death. Then afterwards we realized my grandma was hiding my grandpa’s memory issues, and my grandma’s death made Alzheimer’s progress rapidly. We went years of trying to help my grandpa, and t was a relief when he died because I knew he would be with my grandma again. This story helped me realize it is okay to feel the way that you do, and that it is okay to say that you are not okay. It is also important to listen when others say they need help. Believe them and help them any way you can.
4. **MOST IMPORTANT** Take time for yourself. YOU ARE ENOUGH. As readers we fall in love with authors, and we become such devoted fans that we immediately hound them for their next book. We get so excited that we forget that authors are people just like us. Lately there have been discussions about negative reviews and tagging authors, but this book opens up a discussion about pressure to write more books. I will never beg for a book to be released early or get upset if a book release is delayed ever again. When I think about what I do for a career I couldn’t imagine getting pressured the way authors do. I am forever grateful to read more books by authors I love, but I understand if they choose to no longer write or wait 10 years in between books.
Helen if your next books aren’t what you hoped they would be, then that is okay. I will still read anything you write because I want to support you because you are a strong, resilient artist. Thank you so much Berkley for my eARC. This story will stay with me forever. Helen thank you for taking care of yourself and for sharing your beautiful writings.