To say that I love this series is an understatement. The characters are beyond relatable. Come on, the main character has Autism. I love that the author didn't just write a romance, but a book where someone is coming to terms with a disability. 5 stars for The Heart Principle! The romance, the characters, the plot, perfect!

The story is really cute and fun. The characters are well-developed and interesting. I do love that it was not your typical predictable love story, it is also realistic and sweet.

Hazy, hot, and humid with a chance of 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶! Readers of Helen Hoang’s previous romance novels will remember Quan, who takes center stage in The Heart Principle! This one incorporates some serious issues, especially mental and physical health, which only made me love Anna, Quan, and their story that much more. Narrators Natalie Naudus and Brian Nishii do an excellent job of bringing each character's emotions and perspective to life. Highly recommended heat wave avoidance listening right here!

I read this book back in November but unfortunately I never wrote a review! I love this book and can’t wait to pick up the rest of the authors works. I have recommended this book / audiobook to o many people.

I was reluctant to start this one because I recall early reviews up in arms over whether this book was a romance or not.

Well, it’s a romance book (happy ending and all), but more than that … it’s a life book. It’s a book that really touched me because I saw so much of myself in Anna. I too have come to be diagnosed with a neurodivergent disorder as an adult and Anna’s journey throughout this sung to me in so many different ways. So much of her characterization was close to my heart because I could relate easily to it.

That scene when Anna is on the phone with her sister discussing her diagnosis? Yeah. I got that.

In this book, there’s steamy. angsty romance between Anna and Quan, but there’s also the romance in discovering oneself and the relief that comes with finally understanding who you are because you’ve been allowed the tools to look at yourself and your life through a different lens.

When we fall in love, we want to put so much of our time and focus and devotion into that romance, but that’s not reality. There is always life moving around us, and expectations and more beyond the surface, and that’s what this book is about at its core. Anna and Quan fall in love at a time when life is especially hard, especially for Anna.

This book is romantic at times it’s sad, and meaningful at times it’ll make you angry, and bittersweet at times it’ll give you hope.

Helen Hoang is one of my favorite authors. I was so excited to read her newest book! I am so happy to say it was even better then I hoped. It may be my favorite one by her yet! I loved the relationship between Anna and Quan. It felt so normal and real. I also enjoyed how steamy this book was! If you’re looking for a good romance, I highly recommend checking this one out!

Helen Hoang is one of my go-to authors for thought provoking romances. This book was really emotional and the romantic payoff was well worth it.

3.5 stars. As always, Helen Hoang has written fantastic main characters full of personality, depth, and struggles that really brought her story to life. The supporting characters in a book are just as important as they fill in a lot of the "why" for the main characters, and while we got a lot of that for Anna because we saw much of her family and Julian, we got almost nothing for Quan! What a huge missed opportunity.

This book gave me so many feelings I actually had to stop for a bit and pick it up again later. I just didn’t want the happiness to end so I took a break when I felt like we were going to get to “The Problem.”

I really loved it though! Both characters were unique voices — and I’m not just saying that because I listened to the audiobook! Our male MC was such a strong character but he was also so sensitive and kind and nurturing. I just loved his sections because he was so open and generous with his affection and feelings. Our female MC was so fun and quirky, but she was truly struggling with a lot of darkness within herself and I loved watching her grow.

The writing was lovely. I love how the characters spoke to each other. The family aspects were complex but the language was so exacting—I really felt like I experienced the highs and lows with each character as I read.
4.5/5

I love Helen Hoang's writing and am always eager to see what she'll do next. I'd been counting down the days until I could reunite with Quan Diep and meet Anna Sun, the woman who steals his heart. What starts as a one-night stand spirals into something far more as Quan and Anna realize their feelings for each other go beyond attraction.

At its heart, this book is about Anna overcoming past trauma and learning to find her voice in a family that doesn't listen to her. It was emotional and raw and real. Hoang's spoken about how personal this book was to write and I think you can see all of that in Anna in really beautiful ways.

The romance itself didn't feel as balanced for me. Quan is a playboy who quickly jumps into boyfriend mode after their night together. I loved his support of her, but wanted some more romantic development along the way.

When it came to the narration, Natalie Naudus completely stole the show for me. The emotion and honestly she was able to bring to her performance of Anna was truly stunning—someone give her an award for this!

While not an easy read at times (I'd recommend readers check the CWs due to some of the heavy and personal material), it was wonderful to experience Hoang's writing again and I hope to read more from her soon.

This was an OK listen. I didn't particularly care about the characters, but I liked that the narration was in two different POV. This made the story come to life.


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

This third book in The Kiss Quotient series did not disappoint. In fact I think it is the best of them all.

The book follows Michael’s (Michael is the main male protagonist in the first book) cousin and Kai’s (the second book's main dude) brother, Quan Diep, and his love interest, Anna Sun. Anna is on the spectrum (yes, this particular family seems to be having some amazing luck with meeting/ falling in love and marrying people on the spectrum, but hey, why not?! 😊) Anna is a talented violinist with a perfect pitch, who hit some serious creative block after accidently becoming a YouTube sensation.

Yes, the book is as steamy as all of Hoang’s previous books are, but it also covers a multitude of topics that make it so much more than just another steamy contemporary romance novel. Don’t be fooled by the light hearted, colorful cover, in addiotn to being an Own Voices story written by an author on the spectrum, The Heart Principle focuses on topics such as discrimination within Asian American community, “tough love” and “tiger parenting” approach to childrearing, making decisions re end of life for a parent who does not have a living will, and mental health stigma in Asian American community.

But first and foremost, in my opinion, The Heart Principle is an amazing, very realistic and heartbreaking portrayal of the autistic burnout, and what it may look and feel like for people on the spectrum with low support needs. Well, that and another glimpse into some very real challenges associated with intimacy from the perspective of a neurologically different person.

I know I threw a lot of lingo at you just now. But hear me out...some of your fellow humans are having a tougher time with this mean, and unforgiving thing called life. Educate yourself on the matter, and be kind. Yes, we all are different, but we all want very similar things: acceptance, understanding, human connection, and, yes, love. The most powerful thing about reading is the ability to elicit empathy. There is no better way to learn about the human experience that is vastly different than your own.

Thank you Dreamscape Media, NetGalley and Helen Hoang for my Advanced Listening Copy. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and will be reading more from this author.

This was my first Helen Hoang book, but I will definitely be reading more from her in the future!

Anna was so sweet, and I was rooting for her the whole time. I loved watching her relationship with Quan unfold as she learned to be accepted for who she was -- and not take any less. These two characters worked well and had a good chemistry.

This story was incredible, as is everything by Helen Hoang.

The narrator did an incredible job and kept me engaged the entire time while listening. The romance that blossomed between Quan and Anna was so real and raw and I appreciated all of the representation and diversity across the board.

I’ve become a real fan of @hhoangwrites! Of loved all three installments of #thekissquotient series, but #theheartprinciple was my favorite. Boa got has shared that she identified with Anna and her struggles. That shows through in the depth of character. Elements of #romcom, but also so much more. #botm #bookofthemonth #netgalley #bookreview #bookstagram #fivestarreads

When Anna’s boyfriend declares he wants an open relationship, her hurt and anger propel her to have a one-night stand. But things don’t go according to plan once she meets Quan. After multiple failed attempts to have their one night only, they quickly realize their connection is deeper than anticipated. If you’ve read Helen's other books in the trilogy, you might be surprised by just how emotionally raw this one is. But if you’re prepared for the journey, it’s a great one.

Helen Hoang will have my heart forever. Her characters and storylines are impeccable, I will read and adore anything she writes!

The Heart Principle is her latest book that I found myself speeding through and loving every minute of.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m sad to say I didn’t like this one very much. I’m not sure what it was about it, but I just couldn’t get into it. The story sounds good and enticing but I just couldn’t connect with the characters as much as I wish I could have.

I love Helen Hoang’s books. Her writing style captivates me and I’m hooked from the very beginning. This book was much deeper than I was expecting but I loved it so so much. This was incredible and I will be thinking about it for a long time.

Anna is a violinist currently having performance paralysis after a video went viral and she feels she can’t replicate the success. Her longtime boyfriend has also decided to open their relationship so they can see other people. A lot going on for Anna, she decides to take him up on that and have a string of one night stands with men that she wouldn’t normally go for. But she seems to get stuck on one after, for one reason or another, they don’t actually have sex.

Those are just some of the things Anna is dealing with. Her story in this book is definitely a deep journey. From her relationship with her ex and her reclaiming her sexuality, to family and the core of her identity. There’s something magical that happens when Helen Hoang sits down to write her novels. There’s a vulnerability in her characters that I can’t help but be drawn to. And Anna certainly was that character for me. I can see why Quan was smitten.

And then Quan. I loved him in every way. He’s the perfect book boyfriend. I loved how tender he was with Anna. How loyal he was to Michael. How vulnerable he was about his past and his insecurities from it. He’s such a special character and everything Anna needed. He was the missing piece in her emotional healing, and the other way around. They were just so perfect together.

I picked up this book fully expecting one thing because of the reviews I had read. And then, turns out I felt it delivered something different. So my perspective on this one, as opposed to others calling this almost a women’s fiction novel, is that is as much a romance as The Bride Test was. Yes, it deals with some heavy topics (much like the previous book did in my opinion) and focuses on our heroine’s life journey. But I think it balances well how that journey also includes a romance and it plays a pretty central part to the story. And rest assured, the sex is also pretty hot.

THE HEART PRINCIPLE is a must read. One of the best I’ve read this year! Helen Hoang does it every time and I can’t wait for the next one.