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.

Of Hoang's three Kiss Quotient books, this one probably has the most substance to it. It tackled some heavier issues but still managed to be enjoyable. Still solidly a romance book with just a bit more heft than usual.

I was surprised how much I liked this book. I hadn't really enjoyed the last book by the Hoang, but thought I'd give this one a try. I've been recommending it often and patrons are loving it. Thank you!

I absolutely love Helen Hoang’s writing, any time I read one of her books I find myself smiling and enjoying my reading experience.

For me Anna was relatable, I understood her and her behavior. She is a violinist and accidentally achieves career success with a viral YouTube video. Unfortunately this found success has a negative impact on her because it incapacitated her and she’s unable to play her music “perfectly”, this causes her to burn out. To top this off her longtime boyfriends says they will be in an open relationship, a decision he makes for them without her input.

Quan use to have all the confidence and truly enjoyed his life, until he had testicular cancer. Now he has been left feeling like an “incomplete man”. He is trying to get over his doubts and back in the game, so he’s looking for a meaningless one-night stand; just like Anna. This is how they both end up talking on a dating app and trying to hook up.

This story doesn’t always head in the direction you would imagine. Their encounters are filled with fun meaningful moments, but also realizations that there is something more than just physical attraction. Plus I really enjoyed that the story approached mental health and therapy in a positive light. We are giving great representation and shown that therapy is something useful and can change people’s life’s for the better.

In the end I ended up loving this story and giving it five stars. I would definitely recommend this book to any romcom lovers and people looking for a fun, witty, and spicy romance story.

One of my favorite things about Helen Hoang’s Kiss Quotient series is that she writes romance, but isn’t scared to take on real issues and big topics. In The Heart Principle, Hoang writes about things like life after cancer, anxiety, caring for a sick parent and more. This is most definitely Hoang’s most hard hitting book, and in her own words, her most personal book. Hoang brings the romance, but also makes it about Anna and Quan as people, dealing with life and going through hard times. I think she was able to balance this brilliantly.

Anna is a violinist having a hard time getting back to her work after an unexpected brush of online fame. When her boyfriend suggests they see other people before committing to marriage, Anna decides to go on a date. In comes Quan, a favorite character from previous books in the series. What follows is Anna and Quan falling in love (of course) but Hoang also explores the complexities of these characters and their lives.

If you liked the previous books in The Kiss Quotient series, I think you’ll enjoy this book. IT IS DIFFERENT, more hard-hitting, but it still maintains Hoang’s excellent writing, humor, and character work. Hoang fits SO many great moments and serious explorations in a ~350 page novel.

I highly recommend The Heart Principle, but I also recommend looking at in-depth trigger warnings if necessary before starting. Helen Hoang remains one of my favorite authors. The Heart Principle was much worth that wait and I’m grateful to have read it.

This story was more women's fiction in my opinion. I so loved The Kiss Quotient, and this one didn't have that same magic. It wasn't a bad story at all-it just was not what I expected. I think if this had been marketed as women's fiction and made more clearly not part of The Kiss Quotient series, I would have entered it with a more open mind. But, because I expected another book in this series, I felt the story fell short of my expectations.

Despite that, The Heart Principle is a good story that will bring a few tears to your eyes and you will really connect with Anna.

Oh I loved this book. The trauma felt deeply personal and the characters felt real. Very different from Hoang's previous books in the best way possible.

The Heart Principle is an achingly wonderful, read-all-night kind of romance. Helen Hoang absolutely knocked it out of the park, yet again.

I swear, with each book that Helen Hoang writes I think, Now THIS is my favorite, and then she outdoes herself. The Heart Principle was my favorite Helen Hoang book to date. Painfully emotional, deeply romantic, this book is a romance book for romance lovers.

Helen Hoang needs to feed me a constant stream of neurodiverse, Asian MCs for the rest of my life. I'll die a happy woman.

The Heart Principle is again loosely related to the other books in the Kiss Quotient series, but it can be completely read as a stand-alone. I highly recommend you read the others in this magical series, but don't feel that you need to read them in order. They work in any way that you read them.

Once again, Helen Hoang delivers a romance with unique, compelling characters and a slow-burn love story that will make you root for this couple. However, I'd venture to say that this book is the angstiest one to date from this author. Be prepared to really feel some deep emotions, and parts of this book may be highly triggering for some readers (content warnings: death, depression, suicidal thoughts). I made it through okay, but just barely. If it had caught me at the wrong time, I might have been a sobbing mess.

Helen Hoang also delivered with the really complicated family dynamics. Some of the interactions infuriated me and some broke my heart. It was tough to read at times, but the author perfectly balanced family content and side characters with relationship development.

This book is just as sexy as the previous in the series, but I absolutely loved how the author showcased sexual difficulties and challenges between the two MCs. Sex isn't usually as straightforward as it seems in many romance books, and I loved how these two had to spend time figuring each other out. It really struck a chord, and it was surprisingly emotional to read. I think it really heightened the characters and their changing and deepening dynamics.

There is too much to say about this book and not enough time. I could wax poetic about this story for ages. Just know that I literally stayed up all night to read this, on a work day, because it was impossible to put down. Bravo, Helen Hoang.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

First things first, I love Anna and Quan. I genuinely love both of them and I love them together and I just always want them to be happy.

Now, I think this book is best enjoyed knowing that while there is a "central" relationship, and a great one at that, that is definitely not the whole book. The book is divided into three parts so I'm going to break it down that way.

Part 1: Before - this is the set up for the relationship, the meet cute, the ooo I think I'm falling for you. This section gives you all the warm and fuzzies while still introducing some problems each of the characters will have to face.
Part 2: During - this part will make you angry and will break your heart. If you have any kind of triggers for being a caregiver, for being the disrespected/ignored child, for being dismissed by your family, all of that is here and it is rough. It was hard for me to get through as an outsider. I was enraged on Anna's behalf so much of the time. And while I understood why Anna did the things she did, I was also sometimes angry at her. It was just incredibly difficult all around. I have a lot of conflicting feelings about this section, but, the only thing I am 100% not conflicted on is how much I hate Anna's sister. I HATE HER. THAT'S IT.
Part 3: After - Now, in this part we are moving on, we are finding ways to find happiness. This part definitely sees Anna and Quan find their joy together. And, while that certainly made me happy as the reader, a lot of it felt very tell and not enough show. I wanted to be shown more, I wanted to go through this with them.

So, while I did have some conflicting thoughts about it, I did love this book. It was definitely painful at times, and it was cute at times, but overall, it was something I loved. It wasn't always a, "yay this made me happy, I loved it". But, I did love it. This book certainly straddles that women's fiction line. It's definitely a lot more about Anna than it is about Quan. But, go into it knowing all these things and knowing what to expect. I love going into books blind, but, I think this is definitely not the book to do that with.