I really enjoy Hoang's books because I love that she provide characters that are truly representative of real world issues. In this case, Anna is on the autism spectrum, although she hasn't ever really been diagnosed until she started talking with a therapist who brought it up to her. She researched it on her own and finally felt that she fit in.

I think this representation is accurate (especially after reading the author's note) and I loved that this was a main character in the book.

However, that being said, I don't know if I loved the way the rest of the book fit in around it. I don't like how Anna's family treated her and responded to her. I'm not sure if this is the culture or something else, but they were all very unlikeable and the way Anna would just give in to them - at the sake of her own physical well-being - was frustrating.

I also like Quan but he seemed too... nice. He seemed too forgiving and I'm not sure I really understood their relationship. I get how it started and I liked them together, but he had his own issues that weren't investigated and Anna didn't seem to be interested in getting to know him better. It was him putting his issues aside for her and not the other way around, and this bothered me a lot.

The story was good and I'd read more from her, but I did want more from Quan.

I really struggled to get into this book and invest myself with the characters. Which is a shame as I loved the authors previous novel the kiss quotient.

I’ve been looking forward to reading Quan’s story for a long time, and while I really enjoyed reading it, there was just something missing that kept it from being a winner. The Heart Principle was more of an emotional read than the previous two, but it still contained the light-hearted, romantic charm of the rest of the series.

I don’t believe I’m in the minority when I say the best part of The Heart Principle is: Quan. After surviving cancer, he has his own insecurities and anxieties to overcome. I really loved delving deeper into his character. I was already a big fan of him, but this book made me love him even more! The chemistry between him and Anna was also really well written! The way in which their relationship develops was beautiful and felt organic.

There was a lot of focus on Anna’s family and her personal growth, which I didn’t mind, but the tone of the book felt very different from The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test. The book is also written in first person POV instead of third like the previous two books. Neither of which were bad changes, the book just didn’t give me the same giddy, heart-fluttering feeling that I had when I read The Kiss Quotient.

Overall, The Heart Principle is a romantic, heartfelt story full of excellent character development and examines heavier topics such as family loss, caregiver burnout, and cancer. Quan and Anna’s chemistry deserve all the praise, and I really enjoyed the way their relationship unfolded.

The Heart Principle, book three in The Kiss Quotient series was just as good as the first book! The characters of Anna and Quan were written so perfectly. Both were so easily relatable. Quan has been my favorite character from book 1 and I loved that we finally get to see him fall in love. What is so beautiful about these books though is the representation. Asian Americans as well as people on the autism spectrum is seen in positive ways that we don't usually get to see. Overall, The Heart Principle was a wonderful conclusion to an amazing series!

Violinist Anna Sun accidentally achieved worldwide career success with a viral YouTube video, but is now struggling with a severe case of imposter syndrome and burnout. So, when her long-term boyfriend announces that he wants an open relationship so he can “be sure,” Anna decides to step out of her comfort zone and go on a series of one-night stands. But then she meets tattooed, motorcycle-rising Quan Diep, and soon realizes that she’s been missing out on a whole lot of life and love.

If you haven’t read one of Helen Hoang’s romances, I urge you to stop what you’re doing and pick one up! In her books, Helen captures real people dealing with real life circumstance and issues so perfectly (especially with how she explores mental health and autism spectrum disorders). This one unexpectedly hit me close to home because of a recent family death. And while I didn’t have the same experiences and thoughts as Anna, I shared some of them. It made me feel understood and a little less alone in my grief. And when a book manages to touch a reader in that way, I think that’s when I can say that the author did their job. On the more lighter side, Helen depicted a beautiful relationship with Anna and Quan- they were flirty, open, honest, and so supportive of each other. Their relationship had me smiling hard, especially with how accepting Quan was of Anna.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley Romance for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book but holy shit, was this book sad. I was not expecting this book to be so incredibly sad and heavy and depressing, especially because the first two books in the series are pretty light-hearted and steamy and fun. So just a warning before you read it: this book is a lot, and it will probably make you cry a lot, and I wish I had known that going in because I was just wanting something light and fun and this book hurt to read.

I loved the romance between Anna and Quan, it was beautiful and it felt so real. However, I don’t think the romance is the main aspect of the story, this is very much a coming of age story for Anna, it’s about her finding her voice, learning things about herself, and dealing with real tragedy. I was already bawling my eyes out at the end and then I read the authors note and I cried even more.

A new favorite because it was everything I wasn't expecting and a good way. An own-voices story which felt really good. I enjoy the romance, the smut, and the self-discovery elements!! A must read!

I love The Kiss Quotient series but this one was my least favorite thus far. I felt there was so much set up from the other books but this did not give as much as promised.

Helen Hoang surely knows how to crush my soul as a writer. This was a lovely book about Ana, finding out she has ADHD later in life and Quan who is a soft bad boy. I mean goodness. I dont know how Hoang does it. She finds the right balance of beautiful prose and heat. This was a slower burn than her other books but this was still amazing.

I am a huge fan of the way Helen Hoang writes her characters with such compassion and empathy. From the author’s note I know this novel was extra personal, and you can tell her heart and soul were in this. The Heart Principle was tender, sweet, heartbreaking and healing.

This very much anticipated installment to The Kiss Quotient series was worth the wait!! Helen Hoang completely knocked it out of the park with this one!! If you haven’t read the other books in this series, don’t fret!! This can be read and loved as a stand-alone novel too!! This one had everything I love in a romance: steam, loveable characters, characters to hate, and a hottie for the love interest!!
Anna holds a special place in my heart!! I saw a good bit of myself in her and related to her instantly. It made loving her character so easy!!
Quan is my idea leading man: athletic, caring, tatted, and a little stubborn!! He and Anna made for such a great couple!! I swoon a little every time I think of their story!!
The steam in this one was great!! I loved the honesty and realness on display in the steamy parts too!!
Overall this was such a fantastic read and I cannot stop gushing about it!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

From Autism Spectrum Disorder to both professional and caregiver burnout, Helen Hoang tackles some deeply personal and difficult topics in The Heart Principle. She doesn't pull her punches when it comes to Anna's struggles, adding a strong dose of realism to Anna and Quan's sweet and steamy romance.

Helen Hoang is a romance great. While this book is definitively more thoughtful and less saucy than her previous work, it shines and is no doubt both a hall-of-famer and a one sitting read.

I did a quick !!!! review on my goodreads because I really couldn't think of what else to say. I definitely didn't go for this one quite as much as Kiss Quotient, but I did think it was really, really good at what it did.

I absolutely adored this one. I loved Anna so much. I love the journey she goes on to learn and love herself. I loved the relationship that develops between her and Quan. I loved Quan. This was for sure my favorite book out of the three.

“𝘕𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧.” ― Helen Hoang, The Heart Principle

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁
-Anna is a professional violinist on an extended leave of absence while she struggles to recapture her former brilliance and passion.

-Her boyfriend suggests they have an 'open relationship, i.e., he wants to sleep with other women before settling down with Anna.

-Anna decides a one-night stand is the best way to answer back and meets Quan "bad boy" (he has neck tattoos!) on an online dating app. Their online flirting creates an instant connection, and they agree to meet for a one-night stand.

𝗜 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁
-This is the third book in the Kiss Quotient series, but this is the first that I've read. I expected a steamy romance novel between a classical violinist and a motorcycle-driving bad boy, but that description would not give this book justice.

--Hoang skillfully and sensitively addresses the pressure of family expectations vs. pursuing individual desires of mental health, depression, and suicidal thoughts, and coping with a family tragedy.

-The chemistry between Anna and Quan felt authentic, and the open-door bedroom scenes were not something I'd describe as "steamy" but brilliant examples of putting one's needs above one's own and of making someone feel safe at their most vulnerable.

- Highly recommend this book, although it may be triggering for some. The Authors Notes explain the authors' experiences with many of the issues addressed in the book. When I read her recognition for caregiver burnout in a fictional novel, I was moved to tears.

This was such a great book! I just love Quan and Anna both!!! Anna is so relatable and I feel like the character development for both of the main characters was out of this world. This book was a fantastic addition to the first two in the series. I think this one may be my favorite because of the character development in addition to the steam factor. If there’s one book you pick up this year, let this be it! Do be Cautious going into this that there are some heavier issues and you will probably cry. But the romance Cautious going into this that there are some heavier issues and you will probably cry but the romance Well win out in the end!

The themes of terminal illness and death were a huge damper on the romance, which I feel I would have enjoyed way more without the darkness.

I found myself frequently skimming the heavier parts of this because it just wasn’t what I signed up for when I picked up a romance. I understand that the hardships were a large part of the character development for Anna, but they did not resonate with me in the way I thought they should have.

I also felt that Quan was an underdeveloped character, especially in comparison to Anna. He was more of a facilitator for her growth and his surgery and business plot lines both fell flat for me. I wanted more out of his character and was fairly disappointed.

All in all, I enjoyed Quan and Anna together enough to overlook the heaviness. Their sexy scenes were amazing and realistic, and the autistic rep was lovely to read through.

Smart, sexy, and real. Helen Hoang captures the human emotional experience with eloquence, inclusion, and - dare I say - heart.

A great insight into finding and accepting oneself, while navigating a medical discovery, a new relationship, and asserting oneself within ones family.