Helen Hoang's emotionally intense The Heart Principle opens with violinist Anna Sun seeking therapy for having hit a mental brick wall. After becoming Internet famous due to a viral video, she can no longer find the joy in playing, and questions why she can't stop trying to please everyone in her life, including the boyfriend who suddenly wants to date other people. Should she do the same?

Quan Diep, Khai's brother from Hoang's The Bride Test, still feels vulnerable after a health scare left him scarred, but his cousin Michael, from Hoang's The Kiss Quotient, convinces Quan to sign up for a dating app to get back in the game. On one app, Quan sparks to Anna, whose profile says, "Looking to spend an uncomplicated evening with someone nice. Just one night, please."

The two arrange to meet up, but Anna panics and the date doesn't go as planned. They end up texting comments to each other while watching nature programs together, safe in their respective homes. Their friendship grows slowly, until a family crisis forces Anna to decide what she wants from life and who she wants to be with.

In the author's note, Hoang says The Heart Principle is half memoir, that "Anna's struggles were mine. Her pain was mine." This statement makes the novel even more commendable, for Hoang doesn't shy away from Anna's struggles with mental health, personal loss and artistic burnout. Anna goes to some dark places, but the author shows that romance can bloom in unexpected ways and reminds readers that happily-ever-after endings are different for everyone.

The Heart Principle was a fast read. I really enjoyed the dynamic between the two main characters and how Quan was very attentive to Anna. Hoang always does a good job of ASD rep within her books and I appreciate it.

Reviewed on DA with Jayne, whose grade was around 4 stars:

rigger and content warnings: Suicidal ideation, caregiver burnout, cancer

Jayne: I remember that after reading Helen Hoang’s last book we learned it would be a longer than usual wait for this book. I was disappointed because I’d really enjoyed The Bride Test and wanted to read Quan’s story but I just thank her for this book, for taking care of herself, and for not pushing to deliver more than she felt able to do.

Janine: I was glad she waited, too. Publishing deadlines are tight these days and I wish more authors were given enough time to make their books as good as they can be. Nevertheless, this is not my favorite of Hoang’s books.

Jayne: Agreed and agreed. There are a lot of issues melded into this book, some of which might be difficult for some readers. I hope that people read the tags and trigger warnings we’ve included and be sure they’re ready to face them. I also feel that in my opinion, this is more a women’s fiction book albeit one with strong romantic threads. There is a lot of the book told from Quan’s POV but for me, the book still focused more on Anna.

Janine: Agreed. Anna’s personal issues were foregrounded and her relationship with Quan was, if not in the background, in mid-ground. And I think I would have appreciated the book more had I expected women’s fiction.

Jayne: There have been a lot of books released in the past year or two that I felt needed either a different blurb or a different cover so that readers would know more of what to expect from them. I don’t think mismatching does a book any favors.

Janine: Books with illustrated covers are selling and everyone is jumping on that bandwagon, so I think we readers have to adapt by letting go of our expectations that the genre, subgenre, or tone will match the cover style. Otherwise, we will experience constant whiplash.

The rest of the review can be found here: https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/overall-b-reviews/b-minus-reviews/review-the-heart-principle-by-helen-hoang/

Such an amazing and beautiful story! Anna and Quan are such beautiful and great characters. The journey they both go on to heal and learn to love themselves and one another is fantastic. It’s poignant and important story with a dash of spice and passion. A beautiful read!

Heartbreaking and heartbuilding in the best way. I spent most of this book on the verge of tears but it felt incredibly cathartic. Loved the romance between Anna and Quan, loved how Anna's autism manifested differently than others' in this series, loved Quan's everything.

Hoang does it again- I am not someone who generally enjoys romance as a main plot of a story but Hoang manages to weave her plot with personal struggles, failures and triumphs, self-reflection and discovery and wrap it in a romance wrapper that leaves you wanting more. Her characters are distinct and flow throughout the series. She examines everyday "normal" struggles that are relatable for the reader as well as providing a wonderful and very readable experience of people who are on the spectrum. I continue to be impressed and look forward to her next work.

I'm having a really hard time reviewing this book, mainly because I *loved* the first two in the trilogy and didn't like this one as much. Which isn't to say it isn't good! It's good! It's just very different, and the differences aren't my jam. It's written in first person, and while there are funny moments, it's a much darker story than either The Kiss Quotient or The Bride Test. Which is, again, not necessarily a bad thing -- it's just difficult to shift gears in the middle of a trilogy, when folks have expectations that part three will match parts one and two. Anna and Quan are both deeply endearing protagonists, and I really liked that Quan got to have vulnerabilities and hurt feelings rather than just being a Perfect Guy prop for Anna's emotional journey. The ending felt a little rushed -- I would have rather had a longer-than-usual novel than timeskip Anna's healing process. I think this book will definitely have passionate readers but it may be difficult for them to find it without guidance, just because of where it falls in the series. I do hope Helen Hoang keeps writing! I'm looking forward to see where she goes next.

It took me forever to read The Kiss Quotient, but once I finally did, I fell in love with it. I knew I didn't want to miss The Heart Principle, although I still have yet to read The Bride Test (I am going to be reading it soon). The Heart Principle focuses on Anna and Quan. Anna is a violinist who has stepped down from her role in a professional symphony, daughter, and sister. Quan works with Michael and Stella (from The Kiss Quotient), and he is also a cancer survivor. When Anna's boyfriend, Julian, decides he wants to be in an open relationship so he can see what else is out there (huge jerk move by the way), Anna joins a dating app. Quan is also on the dating app, after deciding to "get back out there." Anna and Quan start talking and decide to meet up. Anna has a panic attack that sends her running away from Quan, but Quan isn't phased by this. He and Anna continue talking. Anna's father, her Ba, suffers a stroke, and she and her family are left to care for him. Anna is also diagnosed as autistic in this book. There is a lot to unpack here and a lot going on, which wouldn't work in some books, but Helen Hoang has carefully constructed a beautiful piece of literature. I loved that she tackled so many tough subjects, and her author's note at the end made me appreciate this book all the more, as Hoang describes how she and Anna are basically one in the same. Although I am not a caregiver, I am a stay-at-home mom, and when I had my first child, it was really hard to be caring for this new little being 24/7. There were things, like Anna, that I struggled with- such as asking for help and admitting that I wasn't okay. I loved the way that Quan was with Anna- he basically is one of my favorite book boyfriends of all time. He was always so loving and gentle with her, and it really made me dislike Julian. He protected Anna and validated her, and really saw her, and isn't that what we all want out of a significant other? I loved Anna and Quan's journey throughout this book. I am jealous of people who will get to read this book for the first time. It was profound and thought-provoking.

3.5

A romance this is not. It’s not what we wanted for Quan’s story. This is fiction with a heavy romance sub plot.

But I surprisingly enjoyed the exploration of grief, identity, burnout and someone falling in love with you during your worst moments in life.

CW: death of a parent, cancer, family denial of diagnosis, caretaking of ill parent, forced oral (not with hero)

Although this was an adorable story, and a perfect romance. I was dissapointed using this as part of a series. In all the other Kiss Quotient books both charactes have equal time, and equally satisfying story-arcs. For a book that was promised to be about Quan he took a backseat to Anna. His story didn't have as satisfying of an ending and I didn't learn as much about him as I did Anna. This is just a personal dissapointment because if this wasn't something you had been waiting for like I was, you probably wouldn't care.

Overall this was a sweet romance with two equally interesting characters. I did find myself overly frustrated at Anna's family throughout the book to the point my mom needed to remind me "it's just a book". I would highly reocmmned this to anyone looking for a sweet (and a little raunchy) read.

This is my new favorite from Helen Hoang. It was heavier than the first two books but it was so so good. I loved Anna and Quan so much. I highly recommend this book.

Got a bit more serious than expected but still quite good. Definitely reads as more autobiographical than previous titles and confirmed by the author's note as being the most drawn from her experiences.

Having loved The Kiss Quotient and enjoyed The Bride Test, I was eagerly awaiting Helen Hoang's third book, The Heart Principle. This one is definitely darker (and more real and raw) than the previous two titles and I know it has faced some criticisms because of it but I really liked it. I liked the characters and their struggles and how they both came together to heal and how not everything was always "happily ever after" - because really that isn't realistic! What is realistic is being exhausted with everyone else's expectations of you and struggling with grief and coming to terms with all the things life throws your way. While I didn't love this as much as The Kiss Quotient it was still an enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to Helen Hoang's next book.

It’s definitely different from her first two books. I think those were a lot lighter and a bit steamier? This one really highlights what it’s like to be a woman with autism. How their minds work and how much they have to work to be ‘socially acceptable’. Because you guys already know what women have to deal with on a daily basis. So to add this just makes it so much harder to live your life and be what’s considered ‘normal’.

It also deals with loss as well as struggling with your identity when you lose what you think is an essential part of yourself.

Not only that, but this book also highlights growing up in an Asian household and the struggles and pressures that comes with.

Overall I really think this is such a fantastic read and addresses so many different situations that can occur daily.

Just be warned that it’s not your typical swooning romance!

This is my first read by Ms. Hoang and I am blown away by this story. The way she covered Anna's autism and her dealing with it (in all aspects) later in life was done with care and grace, We also see Quan and him dealing with life after being diagnosed with "cancer".

Now, I've see all the uproar from the romance community regarding the books and the "romantic" elements of it BUT at the end of the day, this is a strong flawed story with strong flawed characters. I honestly didn't go into this book expected some long sweeping romance especially giving the topics the author gave us.. What stands out in the book for me is Anna. Her growth on page was remarkable along with Quan's.... and his support of her while she dealt with the things... just wow.

Listen, I refuse to be mad at this story or the author because of a "cover" or what people perceive what they "thought" it would be. And yes, this book gives you more of women's fiction vibes than your standard ol romance BUT reading both of these characters find a semblance of something while going through their own personal issues was enough for me.

So yeah, maybe don't go into this book expecting some mind sweeping panty burning romance. Go into to see two people figure some shit out while a romance develops.

This book absolutely destroyed me. I was expecting something quite light and fluffy but that's NOT what I got so make sure you look up trigger warnings for this story.

Anna was Hoang's best female protagonist yet in my opinion, her inner monologue was written flawlessly and you couldn't help but adore her and hurt for her. Quan was also a delight to read from, he was pretty perfect (in a possibly unrealistic way) but I love reading a male love interest who supports and holds up his partner!

The family drama in this story is absolutely heartbreaking, and watching Anna discover who she is and her strength was so so beautiful.

Hoang does it again with The Heart Principle, her latest addition to The Kiss Quotient series. I really love how all of Hoang’s books show how autism truly is a spectrum in that each character’s autism manifests itself in different ways.

Quan and Anna had great chemistry, but they also they seemed to have a very deep connection. Quan just seemed to get Anna from the beginning. And I loved how easy and natural their relationship seemed to progress. Quan is definitely one of the good ones. I just wish we got to spend a little more time with Quan’s struggles. It seemed a bit rushed.

The novel also shines a light onto the hardships of caregiving, and it shows the very real dangers of burn out. Finding out that this part of the novel came from Hoang’s own experience in the author’s note was stark reminder that this can happen to anyone.

The Heart Principle definitely had a lot of heart, but it also dealt with some very deep material. Certainly not a light romance but still worth reading.

Helen Hoang really knows how to write a story that pulls at your heartstrings!!

While I fall in the camp that believes this story falls more in the category of women's fiction than romance, I'm still absolutely floored at the way that Ms. Hoang continues to really throw her whole heart into telling a story. This book left me in tears but also with a full heart and that's really all that I want from reading a book.

I will say that I wish that Quan had a more active roll in the story. Since the romance felt secondary to Anna's experiences and growth, it kind of felt like Quan was almost an afterthought in the story and I had been really looking forward to seeing him get his HEA.

Overall, if you go into this story with an open mind, and a full box of tissues, I think that this is absolutely a book worth picking up!!

*I received an ARC from NetGalley for voluntary review

This book is unafraid to show the real, messy, sad moments in family relationships and the journey of finding yourself. If you're looking for a book that combines realistic, sexy, romance with true depictions of mental health that perfectly align you with the main characters, then this is the book for you.

I was excited to read this title having read others in the series. I ended up reading it in one sitting. The intensity of Anna’s relationships with her family members and her personal struggle felt personal to me. Thank you for an excellent read.