Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang

17 reviews

quasinaut's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This book captures the toll of caregiving, the pressure of living up to others' expectations, and the value of finding people you can be your authentic self around. That said, there were a few things that didn't work for me. For example, how was Anna able to get by without working for so long? Just... financially, her situation doesn't make sense to me. I've read other books, particularly romances, that skim over these practicalities too, but it felt odd when other harsh realities of life were given such thorough attention in this book. 

A lovely book, though not for those seeking a relaxing, lighthearted romp of a romance.

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martinaaw's review against another edition

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lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75


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rini's review

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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zombiezami's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was my favorite in the series! It was so raw and emotional. I loved the characters, and I can tell the author's skill is growing. Beautiful

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shieldingeffect's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Liked the book but disappointed we didnt get more development from Quan all he seemed to do is give and give and be the patien bf 

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essie__reads's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

⚠️This review may contain spoilers!! ⚠️
Please look up content warnings before reading this. A few I would like to point out: mentions of cancer, infertility, care giving for parents, ableism, and parental death. 
End of CW/TW. 



My review:

Like I said before, Helen Hoang is an instant-buy author from me. I love the diversity in her books, and the characters she creates. Her books have a perfect balance of romance and steam, in my opinion. They aren't overly steamy and there is always a solid plot and great character development, outside of just the sexy scenes. 
I found The Heart Principle a little less steamy than her other 2 books, but it placed the same emphasis on relationships and family. It had amazing characters and representation present. 
This book really gives more insight into what it can be like to recieve an ASD diagnosis as an adult, and how it could feel to process and share that news with others.
I loved the dynamics of Quan and Anna's relationship, and how they were able to help each other through their insecurities in the relationship.  
I enjoyed getting to learn Quan's story and more about him. One thing about Helen Hoang's books is that she usually ties in character's from her past books. It was nice to see Stella, Michael, and Khai again, in The Heart Principle. 


The authors note at the end reveals that Anna's story is very personal to Helen and a reflection of her own experiences as a care giver for her Mom. She leaves an important message about making sure care givers are also being taken care of in society, due to their risk of burn out and suicidal ideation. The phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline was included. I thought that was a very personal and thoughtful touch to include. 

5/5 stars 🌟 🌟🌟🌟🌟
I cannot wait to read more by this author!

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readingforamoment's review against another edition

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5.0

The Heart Principle was absolutely worth the wait. Getting to know Quan after seeing pieces of him in the other two Kiss Quotient novels absolutely surprised me; he was so much more than I expected. He was in the perfect place to love and be loved by Anna. The amount of personal experience, heart and soul Helen poured into Anna's character was moving and amazing; I don't know that I'll ever come across another character who is like her again.

This book is tough. There is romance and there are happy moments, but especially when it comes to Anna and her journey towards her Autism spectrum diagnosis, her family and her caretaker role, there was really just a lot to unpack and go through. Quan was also in a mode of discovery and experienced some growth and self-doubt, but this was really Anna's story and I'm so glad Helen took the time to write it and tell it write.

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