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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Helen Hoang is on my very short list of auto-buys. She just does not ever disappoint. I love her original stories, voice, endearing characters…she grabs me from the first page and I can’t ever put her books done. I stayed up late reading, and LOVED it.
So passionate and fulfilling. I loved the representation in this book. Cannot wait to read more from this author.
Another adoringly wonderful addition to The Kiss Quotient series,
I have been hoping for Quan’s story since The Bride Test, and I have not been disappointed
Anna goes to show that you never know what is hiding behind a smile. It looks like she has it all, with a successful career, a boyfriend and wonderful family,
But behind all that she is struggling, I can’t tell you what a douchebag the boyfriend is, and how I hate, hate, hate nearly everything about her family – I had such visceral feelings whenever they were on the page and I wanted to reach into my reader and slap them stupid.
I mean, how could none of then have realised Anna’s beautiful quirks were not more? From the first few pages I got that she was on the spectrum.
Enter tattooed, heartbreakingly wonderful Quan and Anna (and this reader) had no chance.
I love his patience, his loyalty, his love for his family.
I won’t lie, I shed more than one tear as I was reading this story
Ms Hoang writes her stories from the heart. You can feel her on every page, and it makes her tales all the more lovable and believable.
I hope we get more of this series in the future
The Heart Principle is a beautiful, but quite heavy story. I was “warned” by several folks before reading that this book was NOT like The Kiss Quotient or The Bride Test–Hoang’s equally powerful and well-written, but lighter, predecessor books–and I appreciated that. It’s best to go into this story eyes-wide-open and know that you’re getting something deep, and at times dark. There were definitely points where I wondered whether we would even get an HEA (mini spoiler alert: we do). I believe Hoang has a list of trigger warnings on her website, but if you think this book would be difficult for you, I recommend checking them out. Among other things, this book involves autism burnout, death of a family member, anxiety, depression, cancer recovery, and several other heavy topics.
That said, this book is remarkable. Anna and Quan’s story is a special one, and I loved seeing these two seemingly opposite characters come together. Anna’s family is extremely frustrating, to the point where I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room at several times, but a book that can evoke that kind of emotion is a well-done one in my opinion. And Hoang’s books are nothing if not well done. Just be sure you’re in the mood to read this one! It’s not another The Kiss Quotient.
Thank you to Berkley for my eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
5 stars – 9/10
One thing I noticed about this book right of the bat is the way time passed so quickly and how both characters seemed to not be bothered by it. I think I’m so used to reading insta-love books that take place quickly with a lot of action and this has a lot more thinking time and self-reflection in it. This book felt very personal to me and after reading the author’s note I understand why. There are a lot of societal and cultural norms to unpack in this story. Great read, I enjoyed following Micheal and Quan on their business venture. I hope the author continues writing such interesting characters.
Helen Hoang has blown me away with The Heart Principle and it may be my favorite read of 2021.
Heart Principle is the third book in The Kiss Quotient Series
#1 The Kiss Quotient
2. The Bride Test
3. The Heart Principle – You are here!
Before I get to the review, I want to emphasize how much more than romance these books are when reading. Helen Hoang has a way of crafting a novel that makes your emotions desperate for the characters. You feel everything with them and you root for them continuously.
The Heart Principle especially is a focus on the harshness of life. It addresses burnout, the importance of self care, and the intensity of caring for a family member.
CW: Dying family member, burnout, cancer, imposter syndrome, gaslighting, emotional manipulation
TO THE REVIEW
I fell in love with Quan. Anna is precious and wonderful but Quan jumps off the page. His ability to adapt, to read the situation, and to make sure everyone is comfortable – stole the show. We saw pieces of this in book 2, Bride Test, but to see him fully defined in this book was a revelation. His life is rife with obstacles and he’s doing his best. I think I love how imperfectly perfect Helen’s characters are, as it makes them so engaging.
Anna was a revelation of her own but in a different way. The first chapter of the book I was concerned for myself. I was relating to Anna so much that I suddenly wanted to google myself and my tendencies in order to find out more information on burnout and imposter syndrome. That connection dragged me into the book immediately. Anna’s struggle was my struggle. You root for her because what she’s experiencing is so applicable to, at this point, everyone. Additionally, her relationship with Quan is so special. They aren’t perfect complements to each other but they COMMUNICATE so well, that they make things work.
The sheer amount of information included addressing mental well being is impressive and appreciated. How scenarios are presented and addressed helps clarify how much empathy individuals should be giving themselves. (Myself included)
The emotion in The Heart Principle is beyond strong and it feels therapeutic to read. However, reading the author’s note at the end – I expect nothing less. Helen Hoang pulled a lot of this story from her personal experience. She embedded scenarios she has lived into this book so deeply and you can feel that emotion and realness in her writing.
Overall, I recommend this to anyone that enjoys contemporary, deep dives into mental health, and romance. The romance portion of this book is a HEA but there are many side plots and not all are ‘happy’ by the time the novel wraps up. That’s okay. I’m all for a good Happily Ever After but in this case, I’m happy Anna is okay. That’s the most important part.
Overall rating: 5
Plot: 5
Character Development: 5
Dialogue: 5
Writing: 5
Happy Reading,
Ash~
I don’t have the words to describe just how perfect this book was. I know I didn’t write it, so I’m not sure how so many of my exact thoughts were in these pages. Anna’s experiences and thoughts, especially when it comes to her terrible semi-boyfriend, are nearly perfect representations of my own. It’s so accurate it’s freaky. Since I related to her so much, I knew that her romantic hero would probably make me melt too. And he did. Dare I say he was even too perfect at times? Anna and Quan’s story was so beautiful that it tore my heart to shreds. And the narrator had such convincing tears in her voice that only made it worse. This was one of my favorite books of the year, hands down.
Really heartfelt and wonderful, possibly more emotionally raw and gripping than the first two books in the series. I really love how personal and vivid Hoang’s books are, with the power of love as a force for growth and self-reflection. Quan was every bit as awesome and swoon-worthy and real as I had hoped. Honestly, I want to go back and reread the rest of the series, and I almost never reread books. This was just that good, with just the right amount of tie-ins with the other books in the series.
The Heart Principle is an exceptional story that is far deeper than I anticipated. It’s about the importance of loving yourself and using your voice.
Anna is a people-pleaser with an all-consuming need to be liked by everyone. She is particularly concerned with disappointing her family. That, coupled with her obsessive compulsion to achieve unattainable perfection as a violinist, leads to severe burnout. As a result, she finds herself reaching out for help and grappling with some life-altering truths about herself.
I was fascinated by the way Anna’s mind works, and I found her eager, gentle heart to be incredibly endearing. Her sister is truly despicable and impossible to satisfy, but that doesn’t prevent Anna from trying. I felt my heart clench with pain and frustration every time Anna wanted to stand up for herself but didn’t.
The story touches on some very serious topics, and there’s more emphasis on Anna’s journey of self-discovery and acceptance, as well as the conflict with her family, than there is on the romantic aspects. Anna and Quan’s romance is surprisingly sweet, though, especially given that their relationship starts with the expectation of a one night stand. Quan is so intuitive, and he won me over with how accepting he is of Anna’s quirks. I also admired his resilience.
This emotional and inspiring story is sure to satisfy while pulling on your heartstrings.
This book was not what I expected. I expected something lighthearted and fun. What I got was pain and hurt and heartbreak….but also joy and love and learning and growing. It was wonderful. Highly recommend.
Anna is a concert violinist who’s unable to play and can’t break out of self-defeating behaviors that have brought her career to a halt. With the help of a therapist she begins to understand she’s on the autism spectrum, that the choices she makes and the barriers to her life are part of her coping mechanisms as she navigates her way through life and trying to please her family.
Anna tries to set-up a one-night stand with a dating app and clicks on tattooed, motorcycle-riding Quan Diep, whom we met in earlier “Kiss Quotient” novels. It’s a disaster. But there’s something there, and Quan _sees_ Anna in ways others don’t and their relationship begins to develop.
Then a family tragedy forces Anna back into roles that are self-defeating and threatens everything she’s gained with Quan.
This isn’t an easy or light & fluffy romance. There are no miracle cures or simple solutions to Anna and Quan’s issues. Helen Hoang has gained a following because she’s not only an excellent author, but because of her willingness to incorporate her own life’s issues with neurodiversity and family crises, and to write strong, sexy men and women from the Asian-American communities. I highly recommend all three “Kiss Quotient” novels.
This is the quickest, most difficult read of my life! HH is my favorite romance author and she can do no wrong, no matter what direction she takes her work. This book was surprising and the heroine’s life is horrifyingly similar to my my own, but such an epic romance!
Natalie Naudus & Brian Nishii
4.5/5 Stars
3/5 Steam Rating
If I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again… I LOVE that Helen Hoang is an Autisic author that writes about Autistic characters! Not only does she is she able to create an amazing story, she gives voice to real struggles that those with ASD face, from personal experience.
While this book has some characters from previous books, it can easily be read as a standalone. This story not only follows Anna as she’s diagnosed with ASD, but it also shows the cultural pressure she faces from her family.
If you enjoy a bit a steam with your romance and a bit of family drama, take a chance on this one!
: Natalie is one of my FAVORITE narrators so I knew I’d love this on audiobook. I also really appreciated that each POV had its own narrator, which kept it easy to follow along between chapters and brought the characters to life.
I really wanted to like this book but it just didn’t work for me. However, it had a super cute cover!
You can check out my booktube video review at https://youtu.be/twZDxArW2kE
or read my review on my blog at https://lisasiefert.com/book-review-the-heart-principle-by-helen-hoang/
This is a different kind of book – a young woman who is having trouble dealing with her family, just at a time when her father falls ill. She feels unseen and ignored by her sister and mother, her father the one who saw her and loved her. Then her dastardly boyfriend, who is approved by her family, turns out to be someone she wants nothing to do with.
It is like a coming of age story, but digs deeper into the backstories of the characters and the things they need to grow. Well done.
When Anna Sun’s longtime boyfriend announces he wants to have an open relationship before he commits to her, a spiteful Anna decides she’s going to play even and do the same. But little did she know that after multiple failed one night stands with Quan Diep, she would need him just as much as he needed her. When tragedy strikes Anna and her family, the responsibility becomes too much to bear. After realizing their feelings for each other run deeper than physical attraction, they have come to terms that love can conquer all – and fight for their chance at love.
Apparently this book was part of two others that were released. Fortunately, it was easy to follow along and didn’t necessarily need the others to get the back story. The writing was well done. I could relate to the struggle Anna ensued of trying to please everyone for the sake of their happiness while secretly being unhappy with yourself when doing it. Anna realizes that she is the only person that can control her happiness. No matter how hard she has to fight for it – this includes who she loves.
Anna and Quan are meant to be. Helen Hoang is in a class of her own with another heartfelt, emotionally deep read. What an absolute treasure these two are. The Heart Principle is rich with layers, upon layers of literary goodness. Pure genius.
The Heart Principle was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021 and I quickly realized I was going to be disappointed. I was so excited for Quan’s HEA after reading the first two books in this series and ended up unhappy with where things went. Biggest thing to note: this is NOT a romance – it may be billed as once, but it’s more women’s fiction than anything so if you’re looking for a romance storyline, you won’t find it here.
Quan really got shafted in this book when this should have been his time to shine. His story was constantly upstaged by Anna’s and he even disappears for a huge chunk of the book, only coming back for a quick weekend visit. After playing such a big role in the previous stories, he deserved more…more time on page, more positive character development, more from his significant other, just MORE. And where was his family? They’re such big parts of his life and we just get little glimpses of Michael and Khai and mentions of his mother – so disappointing.
Anna was my biggest problem with this story. I know Anna’s story was based off of the author’s own history, but it didn’t feel like it fit with the series or with the character we’ve come to know as Quan. This book largely focuses on Anna, her family struggles and her coming to terms with an unofficial autism spectrum diagnosis. It all felt repetitive, heavy, toxic and overbearing and had me rushing to finish it as soon as possible.
I didn’t really buy their HEA – the entire ending felt rushed. Anna went through a lot of things that were just mentioned quickly and Quan was continually there for her. Based on how it was written, it didn’t seem like Anna was a good partner to Quan and that he continually supported her while she had minimal involvement in his life at all.
I loved this book!!!!! Very interesting, original characters and the situations they face
Helen Huang’s prose and her generosity are golden — not to mention that her heartfelt, totally hot ‘n’ sexy, and original romances are truly in a league of their own. THE HEART PRINCIPLE is about a woman – a violinist – struggling with “burnout” who learns to let go and embrace the unexpected (and the man she enlists to help her) to ignite her life in a totally different direction … love, loss, vulnerability, passion, second chances, new beginnings … Just YESS.