4 stars!

Violinist Anna is at one of the worst points in her career. On a leave of absence from her job, she struggles to finish one song playing it over and over again. When her long time boyfriend says he wants to change their relationship to an open one and see other people, Anna takes this chance to attempt a one night stand. Through a dating app she meets Quan, and their first meeting doesn’t go well. Neither does their second. But for some reason, they keep coming back to each other, accepting each other on an unconditional level.

I thought this was such an emotional and impactful story that so many people can relate to on a personal level. This book was a lot more than just a romance novel, and I would say if it weren’t for the steamy parts of the book, this would be classified as adult fiction instead. You can tell that when Hoang wrote this book, she put so much of herself and her experiences into it. It felt deeply personal when I was reading it. Even though this book went to a darker place, I still very much enjoyed reading it. A lot of this book seemed to be about expectations, ones for ourselves and from other people in our lives, and how we deal with them.

The only thing I didn’t super love about this book was the romance. Don’t get me wrong, I thought the connection Quan and Anna had was so sweet and special, and they were both so supportive and accepting of each other. I just felt it was rushed, and at times brushed aside with an odd mention here or there and I was confused as to how certain things progressed so quickly with barely any explanation.

I think so many readers are going to love this book and I think Helen Hoang is quickly becoming one of those rock star authors that we will excitedly anticipate every release from in the years to come. Her books are really something special in the romance world.

Absolutely loved this novel, and loved that you didn't have to read the first two novels if this is your first one. It was nice to read a romance that wasn't all fluff and really dug into issues that are hardly noticed nor spoke upon.

I don’t think any review could do THE HEART PRINCIPLE justice because it’s ~that good~ It was so sweet and swoon worthy, and my heart feels like it got punched, but like in a good way (if that makes sense.) Yes, this is a romance novel, but it’s also a book about a woman finding the courage to stand up for herself, coming to terms with her ASD diagnosis, and dealing with some unexpected family tragedy. This book definitely has a more serious vibe than the other two books in this series, but definitely still a must read! Side note: if you want to sob you have to read the authors note 😭

Hoang's latest romance is just as bingeable as her earlier two (trust me, I read it in one sitting, foregoing sleep). With that being said, she doesn't shy away from deeper and more complicated feelings of identity, grief, and familial expectation. It quietly affirms to the reader that romance is certainly not one-size-fits-all. While I personally hold a special place in my heart for THE KISS QUOTIENT and THE BRIDE TEST, this is the book that Hoang needed to write for herself, and I applaud her for it.

I absolutely LOVED Helen Hoang’s newest book in The Kiss Quotient series and read it in less than 24 hours. It’s about a violinist with burnout who starts dating after her serious boyfriend decides they should be in an open relationship. Not only is it super sweet and steamy, but it tackles some really deep issues and is raw, vulnerable, and full of heart.

This is hands down Hoang’s best work yet, and as we see in the author’s note, it’s deeply personal and she drew from her own life experiences. I was already blown away by the book, but knowing this made it EVEN better.

I loved both The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test but have read some reviews from people who struggled with those books but ADORED this one – so if that sounds like you, I’d still encourage you to give this one a try!!! It’s BEAUTIFUL and deserves all the stars 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻.

***These books don’t be need to be read in order and can be read as stand-alones. Some of the same characters show up briefly in all of them but you don’t need any background context to understand what’s going on***

Thank you to @berkleypub and @netgalley for providing an advance copy of this book for review purposes!

I had read that this book would be different than her others but I don’t think it sunk in. It started like a romance novel but the majority of the book was sad. It was so sad. It really was a good book but you’ll be disappointed if you are looking for another Kiss Quotient.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for an eARC of this marvellous gem of a book!

So, note to self: the next time your friend says you NEED to read a particular author? Listen! Helen Hoang has lived on my TBR for well over a year now—but I only finally picked her up when granted ‘The Heart Principle’ for review…. And. Just. Wow. Now I am shaming myself, because this book is beautiful and I truly appreciated every moment I spent reading.

Helen Hoang indicates this book served as an incredibly personal journey for her—part memoir in its exploration of an adult woman finally receiving, and recognizing herself through a diagnosis on the autism spectrum. And I definitely felt that truth while reading and living inside Anna’s head. Which is not to say it was an easy read either: I loved Anna, but I also felt frustrated by her at times and her family? Definitely a prime example of how the family you are born into may honestly love you and want what is best for you—but that does not always translate into them truly knowing you, accepting you and giving you what you need.

On the other hand, our love interest Quan is the perfect counterbalance in her life (the key element that makes and keeps this a beautiful romance, rather than a heavy family drama). Because while he is absolutely still human and working on overcoming his own hurdles, he accepts Anna for herself, immediately—no judgments, no demands, just a genuine desire to know her and love her and see her happy.

All in all, I loved this story and the journey it took me on and even the not-so-perfectly-tied-up-in-bow-but-oh-so-more-real ending. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This book was everything I needed!! Romance novels that have one or both characters in therapy, where they’re able to share hard truths with their partner, are so much better than novels where the main issue is a miscommunication that could have been easily avoided. This is my first time reading a Helen Hoang novel and I can’t wait to read her other work in this series — the autistic rep (especially in women) is so important and eye opening!

I've been holding onto to this review for a while, because I wasn't sure what to say.

I like Hoang's writing, and Quan is easily my favorite character of her other books, and I was looking forward to this one. But it was in first person present tense, which is almost always a dealbreaker for me. I liked different aspects of this book, like the depiction of the struggles of being a caretaker, and I didn't mind that this was darker than the previous books. But it fell short for me in a lot of ways - I wanted to see more of Quan's development and struggles, and I felt like both of the characters' stories could've been fleshed out slightly more. By definition, a dating app romance is likely insta-love, which also isn't my favorite.

Ah well, I wish I liked this better. 2 - 2.5 stars.

I received the eARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Helen Hoang has done it again - The Heart Principle is easily one of the best romances I’ve read in a long time. Hoang does an amazing job of examining the various types of love - romantic, familial, friend and self-love. However, I would note that The Heart Principle is not a romantic comedy, but is instead a rather heavy novel.

Even after reading the first two books in this series, I was surprised by how well-developed and complex Anna and Quan were as characters. Both of them (flaws and all) felt incredibly realistic, which made it easy to care about them and their struggles. However, this book is about much more than the romance/friendship that develops between them - The Heart Principle is also about family, self-advocacy, and drawing the boundaries that you need to in order to be healthy. Hoang also did an amazing job of portraying caregiver fatigue in a more compassionate and realistic manner than I’ve seen in fiction before.

Overall, I would absolutely recommend both this series and this book! I also really recommend reading the author’s note at the end, it adds an entirely new layer to this already brilliant book.

The Heart Principle is the latest release in the Kiss Quotient series by this author, and probably one of the most anticipated releases of the year for romance. This book has been so on the waiting list for so many of us romance readers, there were some delays to the book being release (definitely understable) and I was thrilled when I was offered a copy with Berkley. But even though it saddens my heart, I couldn’t give this book more than a three-star rating. This book just wasn’t for me, and it probably is because this book is NOT a romance, it’s women’s fiction. I feel like this factor isn’t quite understood and after reading it, I completely understand why it is. Now women’s fiction isn’t really my cup of tea unless I am in the right mood for it which is probably why this didn’t quite work for me the way I expected it to. The story focuses on Anna Sun, who has had some startling revelations about herself, and there are some family issues that can be crippling for her. (please check the triggers for this book before reading it) My heart just broke for Anna, she had so much strength, but she really had to deal with so much. Quan was a delight but sadly his role in the book was the back story and I was sad. I had been looking forward to his book so much and felt like he deserved more attention. While I completely understand the author’s motivations for this story, it just didn’t meet up with my expectations of the story. I wanted to love this one but in the end, it just didn’t work out that way in my reading of it. I am curious if this author will be focusing more on women’s fiction and letting go of writing romance, I dearly hope not, but if she does decide to go down that path, I am not sure if I will continue reading her or will wait until I am more in a women’s fiction mindset. Currently, I just need all the romance (:))

I just know that this story will work for so many readers especially if you have been anticipating it, but this story just wasn’t for me at the time I read it. I know my mood at the time wasn’t right for it, and it evoked certain emotions I wasn’t ready to experience at the time. I truly admire this author, and what she has been dealing with and felt a connection to her in this book but it was a bit of a disappointment after the long wait of it.

The feelings. I have all of them. This book was completely worth the wait.

I loves Anna and Quan. I've always loved him, and I'm so thankful that he got his own book. I loved their relationship right away, and I appreciated the journey that they both went on. The growth and acceptance that they both worked through was moving. I cried, a lot, through the course of this story.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this amazing novel.

Helen Hoang did it again. I went into this book with very high hopes because the first two in the series were fantastic, in my opinion, and I knew this one had to be good as well. HH took this book to another level in comparison to THE KISS QUOTIENT and THE BRIDE TEST. Yes, we still have our steamy romance between a “neurotypical” character and one who is “neurodiverse”, or on the autism spectrum. But what this installment also has is SO many heavy emotion and tough topics.

I truly wasn’t expecting this book to be as heavy as it was, but it was a nice change from the first two and really showed me the strength in Hoang’s writing. I think Quan and Anna are officially my favorite duo of all the books and I was so sad to have this book end. It was completely worth the long wait!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me a copy of this ARC so I could experience such a wonderful journey of emotions through this book.

If you’re not reading this book, what are you doing?

I’ve wanted to read a book by Helen Hoang for so long. The Kiss Quotient was definitely first, but I’m glad I got a chance to read this book too. I felt a rollercoaster of emotions throughout this book. My favourite thing about it were the raw emotions. The way that the book is written, you are able to feel the emotions of the characters. There are so many things that are portrayed in this book that I loved because of how much it taught me and how much I could relate to. From ASD to family expectations. Anna’s sister made me SO angry, but it was the sad reality that is how some sibling relationships are. The raw emotions that are filled in this book help build a connection for the story and the plot.

Quan, I love you so much. The way that he’s been so understanding since the start, knows what to say, wasn’t judgemental with so many lovable qualities makes him the perfect imperfect man.

This book just makes me more excited to read other stuff by Helen.

AVISO DE GATILHO: ansiedade, depressão, relacionamento tóxico, autodepreciação, abuso emocional de familiar, fobia social, morte, luto, pensamentos suicidas e menção a câncer.

Após um sucesso repentino, Anna não consegue mais tocar violino como antes, seus dias são uma grande repetição de recomeçar e errar uma peça feita para ela. Para piorar, seu namorado decide que eles precisam ter um relacionamento aberto antes do próximo passo, mas na verdade ele quer poder ter encontros sexuais e tem certeza de que Anna o estará esperando. Mas Anna não quer isso, e por mais que a apavore, ela decide que se Julian pode ter encontros com outras mulheres, ela também pode encontrar outros homens.

Namorar e ter encontros casuais nunca foi um problema para Quan, até o câncer no testículo mudar seu corpo para sempre. A insegurança de estar com alguém o domina, e influenciado por seu primo e melhor amigo, Michael, ele decide baixar aplicativos de encontros. E é através de um deles que Quan e Anna se encontram, ambos tem obstáculos para que tudoo dê errado, mas a conexão entre eles é forte mesmo através de mensagens.

Essa história é diferente dos outros dois livros da Helen Hoang, é mais pessoal, mais triste, tem situações que me pegaram de um jeito que eu não imaginava, mas não de uma forma ruim. Eu refleti muito com situações vividas por Anna e Quan, principalmente por ela e seus pensamentos sobre si mesma. O Quan é um personagem que eu queria ler sobre desde o primeiro livro, e ver ele aqui de uma forma tão diferente foi um choque, mas também muito interessante.

A história tem romance, mas as questões individuais dos personagens acaba sendo maior do que a história de amor entre eles e isso não me atrapalhou em nada. Eu recomendo muito essa leitura, mas fiquem atentos aos gatilhos que apresentei no começo.

I totally enjoyed The Heart Principle, by Helen Hoang, book three in the Kiss Quotient series. This is my first book by Hoang who took this reader on an intense emotional roller coaster, telling a tale that tugs at the heart-strings and is filled with amazing characters. There are so many sensitive issues that are realistically addressed in this book; including grief, terminal disease, cancer, caretaking, stroke, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Each issue is discussed open heartedly while teaching and assisting in connecting with our own life problems and our loved ones who might have suffered or are still suffering from similar issues. There's a lot going on in this book; a lot more than a romance, though that is handled well too. Anna and Quan are lovely, kind, with vulnerabilities and suffering so real, yet the chemistry between them sizzles off the page. Anna and Quan are characters that are easy to connect with along with the problems and struggles they are dealing with.

Ms. Hoang wrote an emotional, heart-wrenching, powerful, and realistic romantic story. This book is about our traumas, our family issues, being brave, liberating ourselves, taking risks, getting out of our comfort zones, destroying barriers we built, our weaknesses make us who we are, and the power of true love. I highly recommend The Heart Principle to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

The Heart Principle is yet another amazing, emotional, and steamy romance from Helen Hoang. Anna is a violinist who struggles to play because she fears not living up to other people's expectations. She meets Quan through a dating app and begins to discover what real kindness and affection feel like. Anna experiences true acceptance from him and that helps her through the challenges she soon faces. This book's focus on Anna's journey of self-discovery and self-love is an emotional roller coaster, but it's a ride I am so glad I took. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC.

“I can never please everyone. It’s hard enough just pleasing myself. Instead, I must focus on giving what I have, not what people want, because that is all I can give.”

This was brilliant!! Helen Hoang, once again, knows how to give us a romance worth rooting for whilst simultaneously having discussions on a multitude of important topics. Please do not let the long list of Content/Trigger Warnings stray you from picking this book up. The Heart Principle does talk about a lot of serious and sad topics, but overall, this book is one about hope. If you are going into this wanting a fun romance, with no other plotlines, this is not for you. This is a book about self-discovery, standing up for yourself, and learning to live life after receiving hard news after hard news.

Overall, I rated this a FOUR out of five stars. My heart broke for Anna. I see a lot of myself in her. Learning you are autistic later in life is a difficult experience. You feel lonely, scared. You feel like a fraud; thank you, internalized ableism. Anna deals with a lot in this novel. She starts it in an unhappy relationship, dealing with a toxic family, getting her autism diagnosis, and then immediately gets news that her father has had a stroke. Processing all of those emotions is difficult on its own, but all at once, it takes its toll. Helen Hoang managed to spin these plotlines together so eloquently. We see Anna struggling, but we also see her persevere. She works hard for her happiness. Anna finds a romantic relationship that actually brings her joy, she stops masking around people, she fights. People will read this and not enjoy it because both the protagonist and love interest spend some of their chapters focusing on their own personal issues. I personally think that is what makes this book realistic and brilliant. Our lives do not stop once we get into new relationships, as some romance books will have you think. Yes, both Anna and Quan have their own issues going on, but at the end of the day, they still come home to one another. They still work to make their feelings for each other turn into something more. If that’s not what you want out of a romance, that is fair. But to say this is not a romance novel because Hoang makes her characters real people is unfair.

“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 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.”

CWs/TWs: Autistic burnout, masking, ableism, discussions of sexual discomfort/fear/complacency, anxiety, panic attack, depression, cancer, sterility, toxic family relationship, toxic romantic relationship (old relationship, not the one the book is about), stroke, caretaking, death of a family member, classism, putting oneself in danger, overexertion/suicidal ideation, on-page sex, sexual harassment.

Acho que eu me surpreendi mais do que eu esperava com esse livro.



⚠️ Esse livro possui gatilhos para: depressão, luto, entre outros assuntos que podem ser sensíveis.⚠️



Anna é violinista e está com um problema para tocar desde que um vídeo seu viralizou. Quando seu namorado, Julian, decide que eles devem ter um relacionamento aberto não dando nenhuma escolha a ela. Anna então decide que se ele quer ver outras pessoas, ela também pode. Assim, ela baixa um aplicativo de encontros e é quando ela conhece Quan, um homem alto, cheio de tatuagens e lindo. O rapaz que acabou de se recuperar de uma doença grave está querendo voltar a ter encontros e Anna tem algo que ele não consegue tirar da cabeça. Eles tentam ter uma noite, mas acabam tendo muito mais.



Esse é o segundo livro da autora que eu leio e posso dizer que a capa não passa absolutamente nada do que o livro traz. The Heart Principle entrega um romance sobre escolhas, família tóxica, saúde mental e sobre se priorizar.



Anna descobre depois de anos que tem transtorno do espectro autista e entre questões familiares, ela se perde cada vez mais em suas questões. A única coisa boa em sua vida passa a ser sua relação com o Quan.



Quan, por sua vez, acabou de passar por uma situação de vida e morte, apesar disso me pareceu durante todo o livro que ele tem o coração e o dom de ser um cuidador. Durante todo o romance, ele se dedica a Anna e da a ela tudo que ela precisa emocionalmente.



A autora conseguiu construir a relação dos dois de forma muito consistente e não apenas física. Para ambos o apoio emocional vai muito além da relação física. Eles constroem uma amizade e depois disso vem a parte física da coisa.



Infelizmente alguns dos personagens secundários, como a família de Anna, são o que estragam o livro. Não sobra um prestando naquela família. Por outro lado, os amigos e família de Quann são simplesmente incríveis.



Eu espero ler mais livros dessa autora em breve, acho que ela consegue escrever com sensibilidade trazendo assuntos importantes de forma responsável e consistente.

Disclaimer: I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is the third in The Kiss Quotient series by Helen Hoang. Each book features a character who is neurodivergent. He or she may or may not have been diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum, but as the story progresses, this comes to light. As readers, we are given the opportunity to see the world in a new way thanks to Hoang's insight as a person on the spectrum.

While we are set up to see Anna as the main character, for those of us who have read the first two books, this is supposed to be Quan's book. And therein lies the problem. While we do see some aspects of the relationship from Quan's perspective, so much time is spent in Anna's head that the story moves at a snail's pace. There is too much repetition, which is to be expected given that is Anna's issue. She is stuck in a loop and cannot get out of this spiral. We are lead into it with her, but a little goes a long way.

Given that Hoang herself suffered from the same sort of issue (she tells us so in her Author's Note at the end of the book) explains a lot. Still, it is surprising her editor didn't ask that she trim a bit of the last third of the book where we are simply re-reading Anna's days and (same) thoughts over and over. Honestly? I skimmed many, many pages because I was beyond caring at that point. And, when Quan and Anna were apart, I cared less about Anna. I really wanted this to be Quan's book after getting to know him in the other two.

I had been anticipating this book after the previous two. I'm sure it is the culmination of Hoang's series for her as it is her own story on paper, but for me it was a let down. I still recommend it, but it wasn't all I was expecting.