Thank you to netgalley for the ARC of Helen Hoang’s latest novel, The Heart Principle. This was such a wonderful, heartfelt, and lovable read that just might be Hoang’s best in her Kiss Quotient trilogy. Not only do we see the romance slowly blossom between Anna and Quan, but we are also part of Anna’s journey as someone who has been recently diagnosed with Autism. There were a few trials and tribulations throughout the story but it all came together in the end and the audiobook narration was excellent. I highly recommend this one!

I received an audio arc of The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the characters from The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test and I had really high expectations for Quan's story. I was kinda disappointed.
I really loved Anna and Quan's relationship, and how patient he was with her. I love them together, but for most of the book they are both dealing with separate issues and the romance falls to the background and it's not the main focus anymore. This book deals with more heavy themes than the other two in the series, and I didn't really enjoy reading about medical content or family members in the hospital. I also really hate Priscilla, Anna's sister.
For the first 50% of the book, I thought I would rate the book at least 4 stars, maybe even 5 because of how much I loved Quan and Anna's relationship and how I related to Anna. And I loved seeing characters from the other books making appearances in this one. But the second half really lost me and the ending didn't fully satisfy what I wanted.
So my rating is 3.5, rounded down to 3. I think I was expecting too much and this just didn't deliver what I hoped it would. :(

I've really enjoyed Helen Hoang's previous books and can totally relate to her as "that quiet person who never talks". In her previous books, Quan seemed like a mysterious and interesting character, so I was excited to learn more about his story in the Heart Principle. The story is told from 2 points of view: Anna, a professional violinist who is suffering from burnout, and the tattooed, motorcycle-riding Quan who she decides to have a one-night stand with when her boyfriend wants to see other people before they settle down together. The chapters alternate between Anna and Quan's points of view and each has their own narrator. The way the story was structured and the audiobook was narrated was just perfect, both Brian Nishii and Natalie Naudus embodied their characters so fully, I really felt like they were Anna and Quan telling me what happened to them.

As well as being incredible stories, Helen Hoang's books bring up important issues around neurodiversity and mental health that are told in such a relatable and empathetic way, I could not help but love her characters and books. This new story was a long time coming and the author explained in some Q&A and an interview published on Goodreads a week before its release that she suffered from some similar issues as the characters in this story. I'm glad she took the time to take care of herself and write about them because this story is well worth the wait! I highly recommend reading her interview and notes on The Kiss Quotient as they reminded me of the previous books and brought even more meaning to the story.

Was this book ever worth the wait!!! So much more than a traditional love story, this book focuses on Anna and her journey with mental health, self care and learning how to say no to others' expectations and demands.

Anna is a talented violinist who is feeling all kinds of self-imposed pressure after a viral video brings her into the spotlight. A people-pleaser and perfectionist to the core, she is feeling burnt out and anxious and when her long time boyfriend asks for an open relationship Anna takes it as a free pass to play the field herself. Enter Quan, a man she meets on a dating app where they bond over a shared love of nature documentaries. Their first attempts to meet IRL don't go well but Quan is the sweetest guy, letting Anna go at her own speed and comfort level and isn't scared off by her severe social anxiety.

When Anna's father has a debilitating stroke and she is forced to take on a major caretaker role, Quan steps up and again is a very supportive presence. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the rest of Anna's family who constantly belittle her and ask way too much, without ever taking into consideration what Anna might need.

I loved so much about this book but the highlights were the way Anna slowly finds the courage to stand up for herself and use her voice to say no to the things that are causing her mental anxiety.

The mental health and neurodiversity representation in this book is AMAZING! Anna gets a late in life autism diagnosis (common for many women on the spectrum) and regularly sees a therapist who helps her work through her tendencies to "mask" her true feelings. She later falls into a depressive state and while she does start using anti-depression medication the author does a great job showing how the road to feeling better is a long one and not an easy battle.

Another great positive was the open conversations Anna and Quan have about sexual pleasure and desire, discussing frankly what works for them without shame - MORE books need conversations like these!

This is a must read book in my opinion and I can't recommend it enough. Highly enjoyed and perfect for fans of Chloe Liese or Susannah Nix. It was also excellent on audio with two narrators voicing the alternating perspectives of Anna and Quan. Natalie Naudus is one of my favorite narrators and she does an amazing job speaking for Anna! Much thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and the author for my advance review copies!!

4.5 stars rounded up

This is the first book I've read in this series. I was worried when I realized it was the third installment that I would be missing something as I read but I definitely did not feel that was the case. After discussing this book with others who had read all three I learned this is the least steamy of the three (but still plenty of steam IMO), the deepest of the three, and a little surprising for Quan's storyline.

Personally, I loved Quan (prime book boyfriend material) and I super-duper loved Anna, our main character. I felt she was such a relatable character trying to come to terms with her expectations of herself while dealing with an asshole of a boyfriend and a family that expects more than she can give. All this while dealing with some revelations of her own.

Anna and Quan meet on an online dating app with plans for a one night stand. Each has their own reason for wanting a one-and-done set up but when things go awry on try one, they decide to have try two....and three. We follow along through each of their perspectives as they work through their own intimacy and life issues.

After reading this one I can't wait to go back and read books 1 and 2 in the series.

I listened to this one on audio and definitely recommend that format for those interested. Brian Nishii and Natalie Naudus brought the characters to life through their narration.

This is an author who has been recommended to me multiple times, so I’ve tried her first book, The Kiss Quotient, and it didn’t grab me. If it’s even a bit like this book, and it probably is, after all, it was probably the intrusive family thing that wasn’t working for me. But this time, I started in the audiobook, and whether it was the format or the way that the female protagonist’s perspective worked its way into my head, this time it stuck.

Also, I was looking for a fluffy read after the earlier books this week, and at the beginning of The Heart Principle, in the section titled “Before”, I was kind of getting that vibe, and really getting into the story.

So I switched to the ebook because I was into it and wanted to experience more of the fluff I thought I was getting a whole lot faster. By the time I hit the “During” section, where the story switches from being a bit sharp but still a bit fluffy, to the hard, painful, heartbreaking part in the middle, I was completely hooked.

This is Anna Sun’s story. And it’s Quan Diep’s story. It begins as a bit of a 21st century meet cute, but with some very hard edges to it, edges that at first make it interesting, then make it tragic, and end up making it real.

Anna and Quan meet because they used a dating app to arrange a one-night stand. Which doesn’t sound terribly romantic – or even cute. Anna’s looking for a way to break herself out of her rut and get back at her douchecanoe boyfriend who has just declared that he needs to “explore his options” before they settle down and get married.

Anna doesn’t do what many readers will want her to do, which is tell the asshat to go take a long walk on a short pier – they’re in San Francisco so there should be one readily available – or otherwise go straight to hell and don’t look back. But Anna is the ultimate people pleaser, and she can’t make herself say no to his face. Nor can she face disappointing either her parents or his by breaking up with him. She’s so used to masking what she thinks and feels in order to make the people around her happy that she freezes and acquiesces, just as she always does. To everyone.

Even her therapist, who honestly can’t help Anna unless Anna can manage to be honest instead of saying what she thinks her therapist wants to hear.

Anna is trapped in a prison of her own making, she can’t get out and she’s drowning in the words that she never lets herself say. The dating app and the one-night stand are Anna’s attempt to be her real self in a situation where the stakes are relatively low, because she won’t feel the crushing obligation to please a person she plans to never see again.

Meanwhile, Quan needs to get back into his usual routine, which seems to have included a lot of casual sex, after being out of circulation for two years being successfully treated for testicular cancer. He’s well, he’s recovered, and he’s minus one ball. Which makes him more than a bit hesitant about baring himself to someone. For him, a one-night-stand is supposed to be a low stakes way of getting back in the game.

Instead of one and done, Anna and Quan text, talk, meet but never quite make it all the way. Not all the way to sex anyway. Instead, they make it all the way into each other’s hearts and lives.

Just in time for Anna’s world to come crashing down.

Escape Rating A-: This may be what some of my reading friends call “sad fluff”. Anna and Quan’s slowly developing relationship, as it wraps its tentacles around the two of them, is pretty fluffy. But so much of what happens outside that cocoon is hard, sad, heartbreaking or all of the above.

I also have to say that this hit me hard on multiple levels. The ultra-intrusive family is a trigger for me, as is dealing with the death of one’s dad, and this story has both of those elements. I think I was able to read far enough to get into this because the oppressive intrusiveness of Anna’s family is kept at one remove for the first section of the story. Anna knows that spending too much time with her parents or her sister, where they expect her to be quiet and subservient every second, is so wearing that she avoids them as much as possible so she doesn’t have to confront either their behavior toward her or her regression practically into childhood while with them.

Quan’s issues are upfront, not just with other people but within his own head. He doesn’t need to lie to himself or pretend to be someone or something he’s not. He has reasonable fears and worries, about his health, about whether a new lover will accept him or reject him, and about how the long-term results of his illness and treatment will affect his life and options.

Anna has spent her whole life hiding her real self from other people, because she learned early on that her real self wasn’t a safe person for her to be. But she’s been doing it so long and so well that she’s also hiding herself from herself. To the point that now she’s losing control of her masks and losing her joy in the things that once made her heart sing.

Her father’s sudden illness, her family’s assumptions that her father would want to be kept alive under conditions where he has no hope of recovery and no control of his life or bodily autonomy, and that Anna, her sister and her mother must handle 100% of his 24 hours per day medical care all by themselves pretty much breaks her, both because she knows it’s not what her father wants and because he’s dying and they’re not letting go and because her sister simply refuses to see the toll it’s taking on all of them.

The “After” section of the story, was, on the one hand, marvelously cathartic. Anna needed to take control of her own life, and she finally begins that process, but the story does an excellent job of showing exactly why it’s so difficult for her and just how many steps back she HAS to take before she can move forward. Quan read as just a bit too good to be true at this point, not that Anna didn’t deserve a real prince of a partner after dealing with her asshat ex for entirely too long. And the bitterness of the “During” middle part of the book needed some sugar to sweeten up the ending.

Obviously I liked this book more than well enough to try this author again, possibly in audio to get me past the “intrusive family is intrusive” hump. I didn’t realize until after I finished that The Heart Principle is the third book in a series that begins with The Kiss Quotient and middles with The Bride Test. The stories are linked, not through the female protagonist, but through the male protagonists. Quan’s cousin, best friend and business partner Michael is the hero of the first book, and his older brother Khai is the center of the second. So the connection is fairly loose and clearly you don’t have to have read the first two to get into this one. But now that I know that I’m pretty sure I’ll be back!

OH MY HEART. This book. It just hit me in all of the feels. If I didn’t have a job and responsibilities I would have literally stayed up all night to finish in one sitting.

The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test are favorites of mine, but this book is different. It’s special in a way that is so much more than the romance between Anna and Quan. It’s special because as you read you can feel the author’s struggle. She was so open and honest with us. I feel extraordinarily grateful to her for sharing this piece of herself with the world.

Now, there is great romance - Quan is seriously a DREAM MAN!! And the steam is honest and in keeping with both of the character’s struggles. There are lots of triggers here and the book should not be approached as a light and fun RomCom, but I think what you will learn about the emotions of autism and caregiver fatigue are such important lessons.

Definitely don’t miss the authors note and acknowledgements at the end. I literally cried so hard. Thank you @hhoang for giving us your heart with this story!

I was fortunate to be able to read/listen to this one thanks to the audiobook from @dreamscapemedia . @natalienaudus gives a truly incredible performance and was the perfect voice for Anna. She is quickly becoming one of my favorite narrators!

I've been on romance books back to back and I enjoyed this! This is a quick fun read about Anna who has a strict hard-to-please family. This book does get sad as Anna's dad gets sick. Her mom and sister want her to marry a certain guy but Anna doesn't want to, she wants Quan who rides motorcycles and has a lot of tattoos.

The romance in this was just ok to me, I wanted more but it was still enjoyable. I recommend this, it deals with a lot of realistic topics and was realistic in the book also!


4 stars for the audiobook, 3 stars for the book

I have been looking forward to The Heart PrincipleThe Heart Principle for a long, long time. At the beginning of the month, I started practically counting down the days. Then, I had the opportunity to get an advance copy of the audiobook!


The Heart Principle is book three of The Kiss Quotient series. It features Quan, Michael's cousin and Khai's brother.

Anna is stuck. She is a musician who is burned out, she is in a long term relationship that she doesn't really enjoy. Suddenly, her boyfriend decides he wants an open relationship. So she decides that she wants to have a one-night stand. But this is very against her personality and she is very nervous.

Quan has just recovered from cancer and is also very nervous about dating again. To get over his fears, he also decides on a one-night stand.

They set a date, and it fails. They try for a do-over. It fails, too. Next thing you know, they are constantly texting, watching documentaries together, and basically dating. But they still haven't had sex.

Anna is trying to figure out who she really is when she is pulled back into her family to care for her sick father. She reverts back to pretending and it is exhausting. Quan sees her change, but doesn't know how to pull her back.

I was kind of disappointed with this story. Part of it may be that I had unrealistic expectations after The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test. But it wasn't solely that. It was just very frustrating for me. I was beyond frustrated with Anna's family, and it just bogged the book down for me. Quan was great, but I feel like he was almost a secondary character at times.

I listened to the audiobook. I'm always pleased when Natalie Naudus narrates a book. I do not believe I've ever listened to anything narrated by Brian Nishii. I struggled a bit with his narration- it was too slow for me.

I received a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

You guys.
I LOVE Helen Hoang. The Kiss Quotient is still a romance novel that is close to my heart.
I love the representation. Depression, anxiety, autism, ticks... it's all done so well. I love that the characters learn to love themselves, not changing for someone else. I love that the biggest character development in these books is those around the characters beginning to understand.

It makes my heart so happy.

Anna is burnt out and stuck in a creative rut no matter how hard she tries. When her boyfriend suggests a break to sleep around before committing to her for good, Anna is at an even bigger loss for what to do. Quan, who just went through cancer and surgery, is on the fence about getting back out into the dating world. Both decide the bet route to take is a no-strings commitment to get back into the dating pool. But when their one night stand fails three times, Anna and Quan find themselves liking each other as friends as possibly more.

I really enjoyed the story. I recognized myself a ton of myself in Anna's struggles to find inner peace and her perfectionist/people pleasing tendencies. It's something I've been working on as well. It was a lot less steamy than the Kiss Quotient, which I'm not complaining about in either direction. I think if I would have read this book it would have been a 5 star book, but something about the narration just threw me off. I listen to a lot of audiobooks, but mostly are nonfiction/biographies etc. It sounded a bit robotic no matter how fast or slow the speed was, and I cringed every time one of the characters responded in the opposite sex voice. I wish it would have been dialogue between the two. But maybe fiction audiobooks just aren't for me.

This book knocked me on my heels. It was beautiful, and heartbreaking, and so emotional.

Plot: Anna Sun is a violinist whose onetime performance found YouTube fame launching her career. She has since struggled to maintain the level of perfection she holds herself to in order to be what she thinks everyone expects of her. When her boyfriend tells her he wants an open relationship before deciding on taking the final step towards a permanent commitment she decides to try one night stands to take her therapist's advice and stop pleasing everyone and try to please herself. Her first attempt at a one night stand is Quan Diep, who then becomes her second, and third, and fourth, etc. attempt. Needless to say, the "one night stand" doesn't go as planned. Quan accepts and comforts Anna on a level that she has never experience before and it leaves her wanting more from him. When tragedy finds Anna's family, the burden becomes overwhelming for Anna leaving her to navigate the expectations placed on her, her feelings for Quan, and how to move forward.

Review: This book was so emotional and powerful. While this book is a romance, it is also such a powerful story about so much more. This book is Anna's story. And after reading the author's note, this story seems to be one so personal to Hoang. Once I saw that Natalie Naudus was reading this audio book I knew I had to request to listen to it because she is by far one of my favorite narrators. This book was another example of her brilliance. She reads with such emotion and heart that I hung on her every word. The chapter in Quan's POV were read by Brian Nishii who also did an amazing job. Sometimes, when there are male and female alternating POVs I get frustrated with the changing narrators because of the way its read or because the styles are so different, but that was not the case here. Brian and Natalie brought to life this amazing book and really made it everything a top audio book should be. This is definitely a book where listening to be the audio book heightened the reading experience and that is such a true testament to what great narrators Brian and Natalie are.

This is a powerful, beautiful, story that you will not want to miss. Thank you to Dreamscape media and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest review. The Heart Principle comes out Aug 31, and on audio book September 2.

audiobook performances: 5/5⭐️
the book itself: 4.5/5⭐️

wow. holy shit. I didn’t really know what I was getting into with THE HEART PRINCIPLE, but this was one of the most heartbreaking, earth-shattering books I’ve ever read. I devoured every word and I loved it, but ooooof this was a tough one.

After loving THE KISS QUOTIENT then thinking THE BRIDE TEST was just okay, I didn’t know what to expect for the final installment in this series. TKQ was one of the books that got me into romance though, so I will give anything Helen Hoang writes a try. I was correct to do this, and Hoang has earned her place as an auto-read author for me.

THE HEART PRINCIPLE is not your typical romance, which I know many reviewers are debating. Is it romance? Is it women’s fiction? Why can’t a book that follows a woman deeply exploring her identity still qualify as romance? I honestly don’t have the answer but regardless of genre, this book is an atomic bomb to the heart.

I loved Anna and Quan as a couple. Quan is the absolute sweetest hero and following his own journey towards self-acceptance alongside Anna’s was heartwarming. Their romance was sweet and supportive, with the perfect amount of spice thrown in there. Hoang’s dual POV skills as a writer remain strong, as well.

Anna, my sweet angel heroine, I have never wanted to give a character a (consensual) hug SO BADLY. Early in the book, Anna is diagnosed with autism on the page and her world flips upside down. A lot of things begin to make more sense for her now, but she has to navigate what this means for her romantic relationships, her duty in her family as the youngest daughter, her career, and in general how she exists in the world. All of which get thrown upside down once more when Anna is forced to step up and care for a sick relative. Anna’s POV is often grim and hard to read, but it’s an honest, gut-wrenching portrayal trauma.

This book made me cry A LOT, but I also laughed and swooned and rooted for Anna and Quan (both as a couple and as individual characters). THE HEART PRINCIPLE is a read that I will not be forgetting anytime soon.

TL;DR………. ouch.

*Thank you to Berkley Publishing and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange of an fair review* I received an ebook and digital audio copy.


I love this series. The Heart Principle continues explore a new genre of romance that is more inclusive and humanizing. Anna has always felt different and had to mask her true feelings to the world. Finding out she is on the Autism spectrum is both a relief and devastating, especially since her family fails to give her the love and understanding she's always craved. When her boyfriend of many years suddenly declares he wants to see other people, she isn't all that upset. A change hookup on a dating app allows her to meet Quan Diep (yes, that Quan from the series!), a man dealing with his own challenges but with the capacity to SEE Anna for who she truly is and love her no matter what.

Bottom Line: I adored the book. I'm sad it's over. I want more. The audiobook is also fantastic!

I'll be honest, I have conflicting thoughts about this book. On one hand, it's a beautiful and heart-wrenching story about a woman on a journey to find her voice and where she fits amongst her family/culture. A lot of important topics were explored and discussed, which I don't want to take away from. On the other hand, it was very hard to read at times - Anna's story is not an easy one between her personal struggles and family tragedies... it was a lot of times and my heart hurt for her, and I think my enjoyment level of this book was impacted by this (I have a hard time reading sad books!).

I was so excited to have a book about Quan, but I honestly wish there was more of him in this book. He, too, is working through personal struggles and I did love the relationship/dynamic between himself and Anna, but the romance between these two was definitely a secondary storyline and I was really hoping for more from this part of it.

Rating: 3.5 stars!

Was I beyond excited to get this audiobook? YES! Though technically I have the printed book too but I do love to enjoy both... though this one was quiet the rollercoaster....

Anna has got some problems... she is a violinist struggling to play her music. If that wasn’t enough her boyfriend of 5 years decides that they should have an open relationship... whether she wants it or not. But Anna’s biggest problem is that she can’t say no and she’s a people pleaser who can’t stand up for herself. Not with her boyfriend... not with her family... especially her sister. So what does she do? Decides fine she will have a onenightstand and that’s when she meets Quan and things don’t go exactly as planned....

Quan is not the same man as he was in the first two books in the series. Life altering events have made him reevaluate his life. He meets Anna and things do not go as he planned. Both of them want something easy just sex but what they get is accidentally tumbling into a relationship. This book however isn’t just about their relationship... there’s more and it’s a bit of a rollercoaster.

Things in Anna’s life take a turn and she left scrambling trying to hold everything together. Unreasonable pressure and expectations from her family do not help. Neither does losing someone she loves. It takes a lot for her to learn to stand up for herself and push back and just say no instead of forcing herself to be the person everyone else around her needs her to be. And when things truly fall apart Quan is there to help her pick up the pieces. As they both learn a lot about life, love, loss and everything in between.

This book is A LOT... truly a rollercoaster I wanted to either hug Anna or shake her. I get that sometimes family and culture can put a strain on a person but she was really going through it. I like that she did finally manage to push back and express herself. I also appreciate the realistic aspect of the book she didn’t magically become fine in the next chapter she struggled a lot. She didn’t go back to who she was over time she found who she is. Of course Quan was very supportive sticking by her side through her journey.

‘‘Twas heart breaking, emotion, sweet and a bit steamy and it all blended together for a great story.

The narration was good I do love a dual narration. Love this series can’t wait to see what’s next for the author!

Thank You to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the audioARC of this in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this, just as much as all the others in the series. Anna was so easy to empathize with and Quan was so sweet! Their multiple attempts at a one night stand was such a great plot line, and I loved everything about seeing Anna find love and how to be true to herself. This was as steamy as I’ve come to expect with this series.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for providing an ALC on NetGalley!

Pub date: Sept 2
Series: The Kiss Quotient book 3

Do I need to read the series in order? I actually DNFed The Kiss Quotient years ago (to be fair this was before I became a romance reader - it wasn't the book's fault!) So I think it's totally fine to read out of order.

One sentence summary: Get the tissues ready for this emotional contemporary romance, as violinist Anna Sun and entrepreneur Quan Diep wrestle with high expectations from society and themselves as they write their love story.

I was expecting a light love story from this one, and that is not at all what I got! Helen Hoang did a wonderful job creating real stakes in this novel - it felt so much more emotional and real than most romances I read. I loved the characterization of Anna and Quan - their relationship felt very authentic because they listened to each other and helped each other grow. The ASD storyline was very well done.

As a perfectionist and someone who has struggled with family expectations, I saw a lot of myself in Anna's struggles. I loved seeing her work to have self-compassion, not self-pity, and to please herself rather than her family. Narrator Natalie Naudus did a wonderful job expressing Anna's emotions and pain - I recommend the audio if you enjoy audiobooks!

One warning - this one is a little spicy heat-wise! But if you can handle the spice, you'll be rewarded with a beautiful story of love, imperfection, and growth. If you liked Seven Days in June, definitely pick this one up! 4.5 stars rounded to 5!

Wow, this was so much more emotional than I had anticipated! The Heart Principle is an amazing book, though you should be aware that this is less purely a romance than previous books in the series, though the romance developing is a key part of the story.

Anna is struggling with burnout after a video of her playing the violin went viral, coming along with a heavy dose of pressure. Then her boyfriend says he wants an open relationship, and if he can see other people Anna decides she can too! She meets Quan on a dating app, intending to have a one night stand, but that fails and turns into something about far more than sex.

Quan used to be a confident playboy, but a bout with cancer and surgery has changed all that. He's now recovered and looking to dip his toes back into dating. His story is really about believing in his own value.

Anna's character arc in this book is really about learning to say no and to tell people what she really wants and who she really is, especially after learning she might be on the autism spectrum. Her desire to make everyone else happy has affected her sex life, her relationship with her boyfriend, her relationship with her family, and her career. And the pressure only intensifies when a family emergency leads to expectations that she become a full-time caregiver.

There is a lot happening in this book. It has a truly beautiful romance at the center, one based on unconditional acceptance and learning to be vulnerable. I kid you not, I teared up when they finally got all the way through having sex. But this is also a book about family expectations, grief, and what it's like to become a caregiver for a loved one who is no longer able to do anything for themselves. It's intense and emotional and I absolutely loved it. The audio narrators do a fantastic job as well and I loved the dual narration. I received an audio copy of this book for review via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang is her popular The Kiss Quotient Series. I listened to this book on audiobook and listened to the entire book in one sitting. I had been waiting for this book for a while and was not disappointed. What I love about Helen Hoang is she writes about people on the Autism spectrum with such realism and heart, that I can’t help but love her characters and books.

Violinist Anna Sun can’t believe it when her boyfriend suggests that he date other women just to be sure they are meant to be. Anna can’t believe he wants to date other women, so hurt and betrayed and with the urging of her friend, she decides to find a one-night stand. Using a dating app, she finds tattooed, motorcycle-riding Quan Diep, who has his own issues and only wants to try to get back into the dating scene after an illness.

Anna and Quan don’t quite make it to a one-night stand on that first date, so they date several more times. They start to get to know each other and just as things start to heat up, tragedy strikes for Anna, and she has to go home and take care of her father.

This fun, romantic story was a delight to read and I enjoyed the story so much.
It’s a perfect book to continue the series, The Kiss Quotient. There were lots of fun banter between Anna and Quan, but also a lot of tenderness and love between them. This is both a sexy, steamy book and a sweet love story at the same time. It is also about family and obligation and grief, which makes this book such an all-around success. The issues Anna has with figuring out that she is on the autism spectrum and how to be herself is so powerful and realistic that it touched my heart.

The narrators were Brian Nishii and Natalie Naudus and they both did an excellent job of doing the voices of Anna and Quan and had just the right inflections for all the other characters. The voices were smooth and enhanced the story.
I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a heartfelt, sexy contemporary story about love, and family and doesn’t mind a bit of steam too. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.