The Heart Principle
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- Create Date：2021-07-04 14:16:37
- Update Date：2025-09-23
- Status：finish
- Author：Helen Hoang
- ISBN：B08XB9PMN6
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
From the author of The Kiss Quotient， a witty and sizzling novel that shows how wrong you can be about someone 。。。 and how right they can be for you。
To most， Quan is a surly， underachieving playboy。 Anna dislikes him， or so she tells herself。 She will never admit that she harbours a secret crush on Quan， especially because he only has eyes for her charismatic younger sister Camilla。
Now， with her sister's engagement on the line， Anna must bury her anxieties and overcome her OCD to try and seduce Quan and save her Camilla's marriage。
But when Quan discovers Anna's true intentions， he's forced to confront his own hurtful past and learn to forgive， while Anna must face her greatest challenge: truly opening herself up to love。
To most， Quan is a surly， underachieving playboy。 Anna dislikes him， or so she tells herself。 She will never admit that she harbours a secret crush on Quan， especially because he only has eyes for her charismatic younger sister Camilla。
Now， with her sister's engagement on the line， Anna must bury her anxieties and overcome her OCD to try and seduce Quan and save her Camilla's marriage。
But when Quan discovers Anna's true intentions， he's forced to confront his own hurtful past and learn to forgive， while Anna must face her greatest challenge: truly opening herself up to love。
Reviews
Mandy
，
4。5/5， since once I really got into it， I couldn't put it down and ended up reading late into the night twice。 The most unrealistic part is how two people found a great match within hours of each of them downloading a dating app。 In all seriousness， the caregiver plotline draws attention to a subject that should get more attention， esp。 as people get older and these issues of mortality will come up whether you want them to or not。 4。5/5， since once I really got into it， I couldn't put it down and ended up reading late into the night twice。 The most unrealistic part is how two people found a great match within hours of each of them downloading a dating app。 In all seriousness， the caregiver plotline draws attention to a subject that should get more attention， esp。 as people get older and these issues of mortality will come up whether you want them to or not。 。。。more
Michelle Sheehan
，
Another amazing book by Helen Hoang who is up there as one of my favourite Romance authors。 This book was well worth the wait， it was so beautifully written like her other books。 I was so excited to get a book with Quan as one of the main characters， and it was interesting to see the changes he went through in this book。 Something significant happened to Quan since The Bride Test， and I really liked seeing a more vulnerable side of him。 I loved the introduction of Anna， who is a character I love Another amazing book by Helen Hoang who is up there as one of my favourite Romance authors。 This book was well worth the wait， it was so beautifully written like her other books。 I was so excited to get a book with Quan as one of the main characters， and it was interesting to see the changes he went through in this book。 Something significant happened to Quan since The Bride Test， and I really liked seeing a more vulnerable side of him。 I loved the introduction of Anna， who is a character I loved from the first chapter。 Her journey to discovering she was on the autism spectrum and learning what that means and how that resonates with her was so well done。 She also struggles with anxiety and panic attacks which something I can relate to， and my heart just went out to this character。 I was rooting for all the way。 When something really serious happens to her and her family， seeing how she had to learn to handle that， and the stress it brought upon her。 Everything about that segment of the book was heartbreaking and something I closely can relate to。 Tears were shed many times with this book， but for good reason。 Helen Hoang writes beautiful books！ I can't wait to read more from her。 She's one of those authors that when she releases a book， I immediately need to read it as soon as possible。 Doesn't matter if I'm in the middle of another series， I'll pause to read her latest。 I can't wait to talk about this book with others！ 。。。more
Katie Katieneedsabiggerbookshelf
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Anna hasn’t been able to play her violin since she went viral。 Add to that her boyfriend Julian now wants them to be in an open relationship so he can be sure of what is out there before he commits to Anna。 Well if he can go sleep with others， Anna can too。 Except when she sets up her first date with Quan her anxiety goes into full effect。 Quan is immediately attracted to Anna and is willing to wait until she is ready。Helen Hoang does it again！ The most important thing you need to do after finis Anna hasn’t been able to play her violin since she went viral。 Add to that her boyfriend Julian now wants them to be in an open relationship so he can be sure of what is out there before he commits to Anna。 Well if he can go sleep with others， Anna can too。 Except when she sets up her first date with Quan her anxiety goes into full effect。 Quan is immediately attracted to Anna and is willing to wait until she is ready。Helen Hoang does it again！ The most important thing you need to do after finishing this book is read the authors note。 I found it so interesting and it just made my respect for Hoang explode。 It made the book all that more great when you read her notes about what she has dealt with and what she faced while writing this book。 I loved the story， the characters， and seeing Anna learn that she deserves what SHE wants， not just what everyone else wants from her。 I loved Quan and how open and generous he was with Anna， especially after their first interactions。 Julian was the worst and I hated him from page one。 This book discusses real issues that people face， but in a fun， loving， while also heartbreaking rom com。 I love seeing things like autism openly discussed in books， and I had no idea what autism burnout was until reading this one。 I personally don’t love it being referred to as “my sex” so that was the only thing I didn’t enjoy in this book。 。。。more
Alyssa
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Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC！ This book is different from the first two books in The Kiss Quotient series and the author's note at the end explaining the memoir-esque aspects of the book is really poignant。 While both Quan and Anna have a lot to overcome and learn about themselves， Anna's story is really brought the fore forefront。 I wanted there to be more romance in the final quarter of the book but I understand needing to bring Anna's personal journey full circle。 Hoang Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC！ This book is different from the first two books in The Kiss Quotient series and the author's note at the end explaining the memoir-esque aspects of the book is really poignant。 While both Quan and Anna have a lot to overcome and learn about themselves， Anna's story is really brought the fore forefront。 I wanted there to be more romance in the final quarter of the book but I understand needing to bring Anna's personal journey full circle。 Hoang is still a must-read for me， even if I liked this one just a smidge less than the first two。 Anna and Quan's love story is truly lovely。 。。。more
Jaye Rockett
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This is Helen Hoang’s best work to date。 This book broke my heart and healed it again， I connected with it on so many levels。 It is the perfect example of why romance is so much more than ‘chick lit’。
Susan
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While I was reading this book I felt every emotion and really was there with Anna。 As I was reading all I felt was that this was so realistic。 So I wasn’t surprised to get to the author’s note。 Please make sure you read this as the author has put some really important information in there。 I was provided an advanced copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review。
Alison
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This is Quan's book （Michael's business partner from The Kiss Quotient and Khai's brother from The Bride Test）。Anna Sun became an overnight sensation as a violinist when a performance she gave went viral on YouTube。 However， she has struggled ever since and has taken a leave of absence from the San Francisco orchestra to try to overcome her obsessive need to be perfect， which is forcing her to restart pieces from the very beginning if she makes a single mistake when practicing。 Then her long-ter This is Quan's book （Michael's business partner from The Kiss Quotient and Khai's brother from The Bride Test）。Anna Sun became an overnight sensation as a violinist when a performance she gave went viral on YouTube。 However， she has struggled ever since and has taken a leave of absence from the San Francisco orchestra to try to overcome her obsessive need to be perfect， which is forcing her to restart pieces from the very beginning if she makes a single mistake when practicing。 Then her long-term boyfriend （let's call him douchebag Julian） tells her he thinks he may be ready to commit but wants to see other women first， to get it out of his system！！！ As the youngest of two daughters （by fifteen years） of a traditional Chinese family， Anna is used to being subservient and obeying her elders at all times， she puts up with her mother's disapproval and her elder sister's bullying without complaint， she's even the perfect girlfriend to Julian， but it is making her unhappy and she has started to see a therapist， although therapy isn't going well because Anna always tells her therapist wants to hear。 Basically， Anna is a people pleaser。Anna reacts badly to Julian's suggestion of an open relationship， she is only dating him because his family is close to her family and he has her family's approval: good job， good family， etc。 She determines that she is tired of wearing a （metaphorical） mask when dealing with others， pretending to smile etc， she will have a one-night stand （or more） and act more like her authentic self。 Quan is a Vietnamese， shaven-headed， tattooed， partner in a start-up children's clothing enterprise （think dinosaur dresses with tutus） and a part-time martial arts instructor。 He has recently recovered from cancer， but is reluctant to resume his dating activities， particularly because he feels vulnerable after his surgeries， so his partner Michael suggests a one-night stand to get him back in the game （but not phrased as crudely as that）。 Swiping through potential matches on a dating app， avoiding the women who are clearly looking for relationships， he comes across Anna's profile; she might look like a woman who is searching for a husband but her profile is very clear that she is looking for a one-night stand。 They message each other and a friendship is born， not least because each of their attempts at a hook-up is foiled and they end up watching documentaries about sharks or doing something totally PG。Quan and Anna may be Asian， but they are worlds apart in every way， socially， economically， etc and yet they click。 Quan is the only person that Anna can truly be herself with， and she is the only person that he can talk to about his cancer。 When Anna's therapist suggests a potential diagnosis for Anna's anxiety and other issues it shines a light on why Anna finds social engagements so stressful， but her family refuse to even entertain the idea。 When tragedy strikes will Anna go back to her subservient， people-pleasing ways， or will Quan's love help her to make her own way in life？I loved this book， it felt really authentic and detailed， unsurprisingly as Helen Hoang has stated that this draws heavily on her own life。 My only criticism would be that Quan is not as fully realised a character as Anna， she's turned up to 120% brightness and he fades into the background a bit。 Don't get me wrong， he has storylines but the spotlight is definitely on Anna。I loved Helen's first book， was less enthused by her second but with Anna she drew me in completely and I felt everything that she felt。 I understand from the notes at the end of the book that this was an incredibly difficult book to write， and I can understand why because the angst jumps off the page。 Highly recommended。I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Chelsea
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Phew man。 This one was heavy。 You can definitely tell that this is a much more personal story to the author。 Before I get to the review I do want to say this is a phenomenal read and touches on some really important topics and I loved it。 That being said， I think this reads more like women’s fiction than a romance。 To me a romance means the plot is moving forwards because of the relationship。 And while that might be true for portions of this book， most of the plot is Anna’s realizations about he Phew man。 This one was heavy。 You can definitely tell that this is a much more personal story to the author。 Before I get to the review I do want to say this is a phenomenal read and touches on some really important topics and I loved it。 That being said， I think this reads more like women’s fiction than a romance。 To me a romance means the plot is moving forwards because of the relationship。 And while that might be true for portions of this book， most of the plot is Anna’s realizations about herself and learning how to set boundaries and learning to be okay with certain things。 I loved Quan， he’s been the hero that I’ve been wanting to read the most but I feel like I only got to know him a little bit whereas we got to see Anna’s whole story。 I adored their relationship and how it grew with her but it felt slightly unbalanced。 All that being said， Anna’s story holds immense value and shouldn’t be overlooked。 I appreciate how Hoang unraveled things for her and we got to discover things with her。 I highly recommend this story for one of grief， adapting， and overcoming in all aspects but probably not as a light rom com as the cover makes it seem。 。。。more
Nancy
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I'm a big fan of Helen Hoang's previous books in this series， and I've been most anxious for Quan's story。 He's so much more than I'd previously thought--so thoughtful and kind， the perfect boyfriend。 I might have liked him to be a bit less perfect， but he needed every bit of that perfection to be with Anna。 Anna was very interesting， very complex。 I appreciated that the timeline wasn't compressed for the sake of the romance。 Depression can truly take weeks/months/years of one's life， and that i I'm a big fan of Helen Hoang's previous books in this series， and I've been most anxious for Quan's story。 He's so much more than I'd previously thought--so thoughtful and kind， the perfect boyfriend。 I might have liked him to be a bit less perfect， but he needed every bit of that perfection to be with Anna。 Anna was very interesting， very complex。 I appreciated that the timeline wasn't compressed for the sake of the romance。 Depression can truly take weeks/months/years of one's life， and that is the case here。 Be aware that there are many CWs with this book; take them seriously if that is an issue for you as a reader。 Anna's autism， her issues with her family， her father's failing health， and her creative block take center stage much of the time。 But she can still appreciate the happy， peaceful moments with Quan， and I very much wanted that for her。I very highly recommend this book。 Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC。 。。。more
Kelsey Bogan
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This is difficult to review。 After consideration I’ve decided on 3 stars but it’s with caveats。 As an emotional drama/mental health novel w a love story element this is more of a 4。5-5 star book。 As a romance though…。 Well it’s just not really a romance。 Not a good romance anyway。 It actually feels like two different books mushed together unhappily。 Like Quans book was going to be one story and Anna’s book was going to be a contemporary novel but they were just put together instead。 It’s beautif This is difficult to review。 After consideration I’ve decided on 3 stars but it’s with caveats。 As an emotional drama/mental health novel w a love story element this is more of a 4。5-5 star book。 As a romance though…。 Well it’s just not really a romance。 Not a good romance anyway。 It actually feels like two different books mushed together unhappily。 Like Quans book was going to be one story and Anna’s book was going to be a contemporary novel but they were just put together instead。 It’s beautifully written， compelling， heart wrenching， evocative， and relatable particularly to anyone that has been an end of life caregiver。 Especially if you weren’t suited to caregiving。 I found those parts， as well as the parts of the heroine feeling oppressed & suffocated & misunderstood by family to be relatable and real。 However I have to be honest and confess to being disappointed personally that this was Quan’s book。 And disappointed that it wasn’t really quite a romance to my mind。 Not in the way the first two books were。 I selfishly wish that the series had been concluded differently with Quan getting more of a traditional HEA/romance and then Anna getting her own book w a different love interest。 Anna’s book was mostly about her and I don’t think Quan got the complete story arc he deserved。 After loving his character in the first two， and seeing how unjustly his mom treated him compared to Kai， I was eager to see his story unfold。 Unfortunately his character is basically completely different than he was before and we never see him interact with his mom or family at all。 I feel a bit miffed that he didn’t get the fully character development and HEA that he deserved。 In this book he’s almost a side character as Anna snd Quan actually don’t spend that much time physically together on page， we get told more about their conversations snd interactions than we get shown。 Anna’s character is well & fully developed。 I understand she is very personal to the author and this books is semi memoir so I hesitate to denigrate it。 It truly was beautifully written， it’s just not a romance。 It absolutely should not be marketed as a romance or as part of the KQ series。 I just wish it weren’t marketed as part of the kiss quotient series because that marketing caused me to expect a more light hearted HEA romance like the other two。 The other two books were emotional too and deep but ultimately happy。 And because I’ve recently lost my dad and am struggling with grief and anxiety I very much am only capable of HEA romances right now， this book was triggering， oppressive， and ultimately sad for me。 I think as long as readers go into this knowing it’s nothing like the other two books， and that it’s mostly about Anna’s life & journey rather than Anna & Quan falling in love & figuring out how to make it work， I think readers will like it。 It made me profoundly sad because I’m not in a good place for this kind of book right now， it hit all of my personal triggers。 So if you’re looking for a heartbreaking story about a woman struggling through mental health， grief， and unsupportive family this is a good book。 If you’re looking for a funny， emotional， quirky， & original romance like KQ & BT， this book is not that。 。。。more
Maria （mariaoverbooked）
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I can't believe I forgot how much I adore Helen Hoang's romances。 I've rated every book in this series five stars and this was no exception。 I felt that this was so heartfelt and the characters， specifically Anna， was crafted so carefully she felt real。 Our main character， Anna， finds herself people pleasing to the point of personal pain。 She stuck in her life and she can't seem to find a way out or a way to be herself。 After she's diagnosed by her therapist with autism she finally begins to fin I can't believe I forgot how much I adore Helen Hoang's romances。 I've rated every book in this series five stars and this was no exception。 I felt that this was so heartfelt and the characters， specifically Anna， was crafted so carefully she felt real。 Our main character， Anna， finds herself people pleasing to the point of personal pain。 She stuck in her life and she can't seem to find a way out or a way to be herself。 After she's diagnosed by her therapist with autism she finally begins to find her way。 In the meantime， her long term boyfriend wants to see other people and so she goes on the hunt for a one night stand that doesn't exactly go as planned。 Hoang manages to seamlessly weave romance， mental health， emotional struggle， and growth into her books。 These characters not only found love but they found themselves and that's what made this book so incredible。 I absolutely devoured it in less than 24 hours， I was staying up past my bedtime to read。 Next to The Brown Sisters， these are my favorite contemporary romances hands down。 Content Warnings: Thoughts of suicide， diagnosis denial， verbally abusive family， cancer， parental death， body dysmorphia， masking 。。。more
Jenn
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Hoang brings her incredible insight into yet another novel with such rich， believable characters。 I didn't want this one to end！ Anna is a violinist who is now famous thanks to a viral video， but she's lost her gift and is struggling to play。 She's also struggling with an extremely over-bearing family。 But when her long term boyfriend tells her that he thinks she's the one--only he wants an open relationship before he commits just to "make sure，" she's about had it。 Since she's in this new open Hoang brings her incredible insight into yet another novel with such rich， believable characters。 I didn't want this one to end！ Anna is a violinist who is now famous thanks to a viral video， but she's lost her gift and is struggling to play。 She's also struggling with an extremely over-bearing family。 But when her long term boyfriend tells her that he thinks she's the one--only he wants an open relationship before he commits just to "make sure，" she's about had it。 Since she's in this new open relationship， she decides she'll embark on a string of one-night stands too。 Enter Quen。 Quen is part owner Ina company who designs children's clothes， but he's also recovering from testicular cancer and is feeling a bit insecure。 So when he meets Anna through a dating app， he's sure they're perfect for each other。。。。as a one night stand。 But are they？The Heart Principle brings the feels。 I sobbed through the last 20 minutes or so。 It was SO good！ I want to make a comment about the end， but SPOILER， so I won't， but I loved how it was different than most books like this。 Now I need to go find The Bride Test， because somehow I missed that one！ 。。。more
M。 （Inside My Library Mind）
，
More reviews up on my blog Inside My Library Mind I feel so bad giving this book such a low rating for several reasons。 First of all， this is one of my most anticipated releases for the year。 Second of all， the story seems to be really personal for the author and there's a lot of her own experiences poured into this。 And finally， there's a lot to love in this novel。 Quan was a character I loved in previous books in the series， and I still loved getting his story。 Both him and Anna were charact More reviews up on my blog Inside My Library Mind I feel so bad giving this book such a low rating for several reasons。 First of all， this is one of my most anticipated releases for the year。 Second of all， the story seems to be really personal for the author and there's a lot of her own experiences poured into this。 And finally， there's a lot to love in this novel。 Quan was a character I loved in previous books in the series， and I still loved getting his story。 Both him and Anna were characters that I enjoyed。 The struggles Anna has with her mental health and her family not understanding her and accepting her were also explored really well， and I love how the author handled that。 Also， the struggles that Quan goes through after recovering from his illness are also something that was done super well。 I like that this book explores other themes， alongside their romance。 However， this is a romance。 It's marketed as one and that's what I expected going into it， a romance。 And this book is just not a good romance in my opinion。 Anna and Quan have no chemistry whatsoever in my opinion。 Their relationship is really instalove and it gets going at the 20 percent mark already， with a lot of hefty words and feelings being thrown right then and there。 Their relationship is lovely and healthy and it's all great on paper， but it all happens so soon， and it's hard to suspend disbelief。 There's just not a lot of romance and relationship development in this book， so I feel like the marketing and it being a part of the series does it a disservice。 I am gutted that I did not like this， but I am sure this book will be loved， I just feel like it's necessary to note that the focus isn't really on the romance。 Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Storygraph 。。。more
Kelsey
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This book should come with massive trigger warnings for cancer and decline/death of a parent。 Really frustrating that it didn't。 As someone who has experienced both of those things， I couldn't get through this。 This book should come with massive trigger warnings for cancer and decline/death of a parent。 Really frustrating that it didn't。 As someone who has experienced both of those things， I couldn't get through this。 。。。more
lazybookconqueror
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I finished The Heart Principle， read the author's note， put my Kindle down， and I was speechless。This was not what I was expecting from a new Helen Hoang book。 Of course， I knew she was a talented writer， both The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test are a delight， but this， this， is something else。It was the first time I was actually triggered by a book and needed to take a break between one chapter and the other。 There's a rawness to The Heart Principle。 There's something very unique a human about I finished The Heart Principle， read the author's note， put my Kindle down， and I was speechless。This was not what I was expecting from a new Helen Hoang book。 Of course， I knew she was a talented writer， both The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test are a delight， but this， this， is something else。It was the first time I was actually triggered by a book and needed to take a break between one chapter and the other。 There's a rawness to The Heart Principle。 There's something very unique a human about it。 And as someone that sometimes struggles to fit it and has learned to mask emotions， this hit especially hard。 But， it was both powerful and empowering。If you read Helen's previous books you know that we were all waiting to see Quan as the protagonist of this own story。 But the Quan we meet here is very different than the one we met before。 He had cancer， he survived it， but he's a different man。 Gone is his easygoing attitude and the confidence he had in spades。 He feels like he needs to prove to himself and the world that he still got it， that he is still worth it。 But， THP is actually the story of Anna， a struggling musician that is stuck in a rut。 She became internet famous playing the violin and ever since she feels like she can't reach the potential expected of her。 In the midst of this breakdown， she is faced with her diagnosis in the autism spectrum， but， before she can even cope or try to make sense of who she is， there's a tragedy in her family。 Her father becomes severely ill and Anna is intimidated into becoming his caregiver。 This， paired with so many other challenges happening in her life， become a spiral into caregiver and autistic burnout。The Heart Principle starts as an unassuming romance between two broken people looking for a one-night stand and quickly morphs into something so much deeper。 There are so many intricate themes and nuances。 There's so much story and feeling。The romance is touching， steamy， beautiful， fun， and quirky， just like Hoang is famous for writing。 Quan is the perfect hero we all thought he would be。 But their story is just something you have to read and absorb for yourself。 Of course， I wanted a bit more resolution。 There was so much going on in the ending。You can almost see how it was difficult to tie all the elements together。 But， even though this wasn't perfect， there were so many qualities that I couldn't not give this five stars。 Helen Hoang was already fantastic， but this is a whole different level。And after reading the author's note I have even more respect for her as a writer。Trigger warnings for cancer， autistic burnout， caregiver burnout， masking， verbal and emotional abuse。Thank you so much Atlantic Books and Netgalley for approving me for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Librariann
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**I received an ARC of this book from the publisher， because I am a librarian and librarians are awesome**I am incredibly torn over Helen Hoang books。 On one hand， the female characters speak to me on a personal level and I find them incredibly emotionally therapeutic to read。 Like， seriously。 Like， to the point that reading this and The Kissing Quotient literally benefited the well-being of my existing relationship。 （FIVE STARS FOR THAT！） On the other hand， the writing style （which is basic but **I received an ARC of this book from the publisher， because I am a librarian and librarians are awesome**I am incredibly torn over Helen Hoang books。 On one hand， the female characters speak to me on a personal level and I find them incredibly emotionally therapeutic to read。 Like， seriously。 Like， to the point that reading this and The Kissing Quotient literally benefited the well-being of my existing relationship。 （FIVE STARS FOR THAT！） On the other hand， the writing style （which is basic but accessible and can be read potato-chip fast） and romance pairings themselves are not my lures AT ALL。 I recently found a reflection， written almost 10 years ago。 that noted that I was always drawn to the asshole/innocent pairing in any new fandom， and this is TOTALLY TRUE。 Give me relationships that are slow burn and juuuuuust the other side of toxic rather than these Emotionally Healthy and Supportive Masculine individuals。 I appreciated the author's note at the end where Hoang shared how much of her own personal story was attached to this novel。 There was A Lot Going On in this book， so much so that the telling really showed the strain of it， especially towards the end of the novel。 Highly recommend to slightly Aspie weirdoes with sex hangups， but as an all-purpose romance novel， IDK。 File under: not my kink。 。。。more
Erica
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I apologize in advance， as this review will be vague。 Not intentionally， but because I can't pin down exactly why I liked it so much。 I can't relate to either of the characters' life situations - location， family， job， physical characteristics - but still， something about each of them drew me in and made me care about them as individuals and as a couple。 I apologize in advance， as this review will be vague。 Not intentionally， but because I can't pin down exactly why I liked it so much。 I can't relate to either of the characters' life situations - location， family， job， physical characteristics - but still， something about each of them drew me in and made me care about them as individuals and as a couple。 。。。more
kayleigh ❁
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⭑⭑⭑⭑ 4 stars "'You will disappoint people，" Jennifer says in a firm but not unkind voice。 "But you'll also blow others away。 That's just how this works。'" This is my first Kiss Quotient book， I feel that it's important to note this before I get into the swing of my review because I came into this book unattached to any characters that may have featured in the previous books。 And still loved it。I was pleased that I did not need to read the others in order to read The Heart Principle。 Unlike ⭑⭑⭑⭑ 4 stars "'You will disappoint people，" Jennifer says in a firm but not unkind voice。 "But you'll also blow others away。 That's just how this works。'" This is my first Kiss Quotient book， I feel that it's important to note this before I get into the swing of my review because I came into this book unattached to any characters that may have featured in the previous books。 And still loved it。I was pleased that I did not need to read the others in order to read The Heart Principle。 Unlike Anna， I am perfectly able to dive into the middle of things and immerse myself as much as possible without feeling uncomfortable。 Anna is consistently trying to perfectly replicate her violin performance that went viral， it is not going well and she plays herself round and round in circles until she does not enjoy the feel of music anymore。 Then， her boyfriend decides that in order for him to marry Anna， he must experience life with other women to want to settle down， therefore he initiates an open relationship， disbelieving that Anna will find anyone else to connect with。 Thankfully， Anna makes quick work of proving him wrong when she meets Quan， and their bond is instantaneous。 However， a family emergency and Anna's innate need to please everybody soon builds into burnout。 Mistakes are made and in order for Anna to fix them， she must forget every obedient mask she has trained herself into， and once and for all， stand up for herself。 As the reader， I could see that any sort of confrontation is physically painful for Anna to experience， and she forces herself to go extreme lengths to avoid displeasing anybody。 Quan is unbelievably sweet with her。 He encourages her to open up with numerous and simple checking-in questions， "is this what you want？"， "shall we stop？"， "are you okay？" Are you okay。 Possibly the most important question in the English language。 The words by themselves make little difference， but together they emanate care and concern from the speaker。 Are you okay is used a lot in this book。These check-ins， coupled with Anna's struggles， make for an emotionally intense read， the general sensation as I was reading was a sweet sadness; downhearted at Anna's challenges but picked right back up again by Quad。 Saying this， the sexual experiences in this book are surprisingly graphic considering the message of the book。 However， the lust between Anna and Quad make their connection that much more deep， and the intimate moments are described powerfully， unapologetically， and passionately。 Despite their surprise， they made easy reading。I definitely have intentions of picking up the other Kiss Quotient books based on this one alone， it's not often that a sequel is this persuasive， which makes me excited for Hoang's other books。Thank you to Atlantic Books and NetGalley for allowing me a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 Click to follow my blog for more reviews 。。。more
Natasha
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Beautifully written and undeniably addictive， The Heart Principle expertly blends a heartwarming romance with deeper themes （such as grief and toxic relationships） to create an exquisitely complex and profoundly moving book that I literally couldn’t put down—I absolutely loved it！After a Viral Video accidentally launches her career—Violinist ， Anna Su is suffering from burnout after trying to replicate the success。 Now her long-term boyfriend has announced he wants an open relationship，before he Beautifully written and undeniably addictive， The Heart Principle expertly blends a heartwarming romance with deeper themes （such as grief and toxic relationships） to create an exquisitely complex and profoundly moving book that I literally couldn’t put down—I absolutely loved it！After a Viral Video accidentally launches her career—Violinist ， Anna Su is suffering from burnout after trying to replicate the success。 Now her long-term boyfriend has announced he wants an open relationship，before he can decide if he wants to commit。 Hurt and angry Anna decides she’ll go along with it， so long as she can have an open relationship too—deciding to embark of a string of one night stands， the more unacceptable the man，the better。Enter， Quan Diep—he’s tattooed， rides a motorcycle and the complete opposite to the uptight boyfriend her family approves of。 But as their one night stand fails （as does their second and third attempts） they realise what they share is far more than just physical attraction， leading Anna to invest in and begin to understand herself （and her self worth。） But when tragedy strikes，forcing Anna into a role ill-suited for her，the burden of expectations almost destroys her。 Together，Anna and Quan have a chance at love—but first，they’ll have to fight for it。。。This was absolutely magnificent！ I loved both The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test but I have to say，this surpasses them both。 I’m soo happy that Quan finally got his own book， he was definitely one of my favourite characters from the series，so far。 Anna was also an incredibly well written and endearingly relatable character，I couldn’t help but root for her and Quan to finally find their much deserved happiness。I also felt Anna’s family came off as quite insensitive to Anna’s mental and physical wellbeing （it had me heart broken for her） but， her emotional journey was excellently tackled and made me love her more for it。 Honestly this is just soo incredible，I’d recommend it to any and all lovers of contemporary romance—it’s utterly addictive！ （Though I suggest you read both The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test first。）Thanks to Corvus and NetGalley for the ARC。 。。。more
Patricia
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Just finished this beautiful book after arriving from work。⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🙌This is the romance between Quan Diep （Michael’s cousin from “The Kiss quotient” and Khai’s brother from “The bride Test”）， and Anna， and all the difficulties they have to go through in order to make their relationship work。 From societal expectations， emotional neglect and power abuse by family， awareness， acceptance and other not only uncomfortable episodes but definitevely damaging to thenpoint of exhaustation for Anna and Just finished this beautiful book after arriving from work。⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🙌This is the romance between Quan Diep （Michael’s cousin from “The Kiss quotient” and Khai’s brother from “The bride Test”）， and Anna， and all the difficulties they have to go through in order to make their relationship work。 From societal expectations， emotional neglect and power abuse by family， awareness， acceptance and other not only uncomfortable episodes but definitevely damaging to thenpoint of exhaustation for Anna and her loved one。This one is my absolute favorite from the trilogy。 The best part is that you do not need to read them in order to make sense of the stories。The main reason why I love this book more than the others， eventhough I love all of them， is not only because the story talks openly about emotionally dififcult subjects like the autism spectrum， Aspergers， cancer， burnout， racism， invisible chronic disabilities， suicidal thoughts， bullying， depression and HSP， but because of how incredibly well portrayed is each one of these situations。 How deep Hoang goes into the rabbit hole of really means to be in the spectrum and all the things nobody sees when we mask to the point of endenger our own lives in our attempts to please and comform to what is right and not frown upon by society and look rude， difficult or too intense in our careful attempt to be faithfull to our so much needed time for recharging to be able to go out and do it all iver again daily。 In her previous books， the main characters had known already they were in the spectrum for a while or since childhood， but in this latest， Anna gets diagnosed as an adult and has to come to terms with what it means to see the world finally make sense and accept herself as the version of human she really is and not what other expect from her。As an ex cancer patient and Having experienced autistic major burnouts three times in my life， I found myself in every struggle she depicts in this book。 I love the fact that this book is her most authentic rendition of her own life and almost biographical。 Please let be good to each other and when you see someone struggling with something that seems easy for others， try and understand that it may imply physical pain， apart from frustration， enbarrasment and sadness） to others and be compassive。 。。。more
Christine
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I was not ready for how steamy this was。 I also was not ready to CRY WHEN THERE WAS A DEAD DAD STORYLINE。 10/10 would recommend。
LianaReads blog
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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 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。 Very grateful to the publisher Atlantic Books for my review copy。 。。。more
Rachel
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What an absolutely stunning book， Helen Hoang is a genius！ The Heart Principle focuses on Anna， whose boyfriend has just brought up the idea of an open relationship with her。 From there， Anna decides to empower herself by meeting men on dating apps for one night stands。 Enter Quan， who we met in the previous books in series and their relationship blooms from there。Their story is one of my favourites I’ve ever read about。 They both bring their own insecurities to the table and I felt this was dea What an absolutely stunning book， Helen Hoang is a genius！ The Heart Principle focuses on Anna， whose boyfriend has just brought up the idea of an open relationship with her。 From there， Anna decides to empower herself by meeting men on dating apps for one night stands。 Enter Quan， who we met in the previous books in series and their relationship blooms from there。Their story is one of my favourites I’ve ever read about。 They both bring their own insecurities to the table and I felt this was dealt with so beautifully。 They dialogue and warmth between each other was just so lovely to read， I would happily read 100 more books with them in it！Not only is this a romance book， but it deals with so many other issues such as mental health， grief and a late stage ASD diagnosis。 Anna is diagnosed with ASD during this book， statistically woman are less likely to be diagnosed than men due to ‘masking’， whereby women are naturally more likely to immitate the more ‘desirable’ behaviours。 Hoang explores how masking impacts Anna and her mental health and I feel it was honestly such an important read。Overall， I think this has something for everyone。 A fantastic romance with a great plot that has depth and development， alongside tackling very important issues。 An easy 5 stars from me， definitely check this one out！ 。。。more
Kari
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This one’s going to take me a while to rate and review。I need to gather my thoughts。
Cheryl
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I really enjoyed this romance and found it difficult to tear myself away from this book。 This title with well-developed characters was touching， enlightening， and honest。 I gained insight into what it may be like to be on the autism spectrum。 Beautiful book！
Emily Rose
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t*I received this book as a digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*I want to start with a HUGE thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this ARC。 I have been anticipating this book since it was announced， and I absolutely love this series。 Unlike the other books in the KQ series， this book is written in first person， which surprised me a little but Hoang's note at the end pointed out how personal to her this particular book in the series was。 In this book we are fin t*I received this book as a digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*I want to start with a HUGE thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this ARC。 I have been anticipating this book since it was announced， and I absolutely love this series。 Unlike the other books in the KQ series， this book is written in first person， which surprised me a little but Hoang's note at the end pointed out how personal to her this particular book in the series was。 In this book we are finally graced with Quan's much-deserved love story！ Aiming to get back into the dating game after （view spoiler）[health issues （hide spoiler）] rudely took him out of it two years ago， Quan decides a one-night stand is just the thing to start again。 Lucky him， violinist Anna is looking for her own one-night stand since her douche-nozzle of a boyfriend decided they should see （have sex with） other people to make sure they wanted to be together without consulting her to see if she was cool with it。 Romance， misunderstanding， and tragedies ensue。 One word of warning， there is some suicidal ideation implied at one point， although it is not Overall， another great addition to The Kiss Quotient series that provides a cute romance while also addressing issues of self-worth discrimination against those with ASD。 。。。more
Kori Sulewski （korireads）
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I （incorrectly） assumed this was going to be a really light-hearted and fun book。 The story is pretty heavy from the start， and after reading the author’s note， it’s very personal and it made me respect the story so much more。 It’s tender and painful and full of a lot of heart。 My only complaint is I felt some things were a tad disjointed and underdeveloped， but I think the emotion and honesty behind the writing make it an incredibly compelling read。Thank you to Berkley romance for the e-arc！
Lou
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Loved it！ Quite heavy compared to the previous novels but has that classic Helen Hoang touch that just draws you in。 It might be， dare I say， my favorite Contemporary Romance of 2021。Full review to come！
Melissa
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Helen Hoang's new novel， "The Heart Principle" is very different from her previous two books。 Though still a romance， there was a much greater focus on the main character， Anna's， struggles with her mental health and her family。 This novel was so much more emotional and based on the author's note it was deeply personal for her。 My heart broke for Anna， and some of the chapters were difficult to read。 It takes on a lot of serious topics and it doesn't make light of any of them。 A lot of people li Helen Hoang's new novel， "The Heart Principle" is very different from her previous two books。 Though still a romance， there was a much greater focus on the main character， Anna's， struggles with her mental health and her family。 This novel was so much more emotional and based on the author's note it was deeply personal for her。 My heart broke for Anna， and some of the chapters were difficult to read。 It takes on a lot of serious topics and it doesn't make light of any of them。 A lot of people like to write off romances as being too light， saying that they have no substance， and this would be the perfect novel to change their minds。 。。。more
Twice Upon A Book
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Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest reviewCW: these are Nick's from her review anxiety， panic attack， depression， autism， masking， ableism， cancer， sterility， suicidal ideation， severe （non-cancer） illness of a family member; caretaking; burnout; death of a family member; toxic family relationship; classism; unnecessarily putting oneself in danger; overexertion as coping mechanism， gaslightingWarning of kind of SPOILERYThis is a very difficult review to write， Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest reviewCW: these are Nick's from her review anxiety， panic attack， depression， autism， masking， ableism， cancer， sterility， suicidal ideation， severe （non-cancer） illness of a family member; caretaking; burnout; death of a family member; toxic family relationship; classism; unnecessarily putting oneself in danger; overexertion as coping mechanism， gaslightingWarning of kind of SPOILERYThis is a very difficult review to write， I'm honestly not sure how to rate this book。 I definitely agree with the other reviewers who have found this to be more of a heavy fiction book with a romance subplot。 This book covers a lot of heavy topics， well， but it was a heavy read that was difficult at times for me to read for a lot of reasons。 This was Anna's story of masking and pleasing everyone， and finally， finally seeing herself。 Asserting herself and no longer just agreeing with what everyone wants。 Her relationship with her family and her relationship with dating and sex was hard to read but also true for so many people who are just trying to get by。 Quan， sweet Quan。 He was just as sweet of a cinnamon roll as I knew he would be。 Dealing with his own stressors after cancer， returning to his life。 But this isn't Quan's story as much as Anna's and he is very much there for her。 There was one chapter that really bugged me that did not serve the story at all and honestly didn't seem reflective of Quan。 This isn't the love story I was expecting for Quan。The author's note was very beautiful and you can tell how heartfelt and meaningful this story is。 It's beautifully written and gut-wrenching。 I may be able to put my thoughts better later。 It was a thought-provoking and enjoyable read and I'm very glad good friends gave me a heads up of what to expect that this is not a lighthearted romance。 Rating: 4 （I keep drifting between 3。5/4）Steam: 3 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Heart Principle
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Heart Principle&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Heart Principle&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0