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e_flah's review
dark
emotional
sad
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
As I was trying to sort out my feelings about The Heart Principle, I found myself coming back to a remark from Kirkus' review of the book: "Grief and suffering make for an emotionally moving novel, but without fully exploring healing and recovery, is it a romance?"
The Heart Principle is a big deviation in tone from The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test. Hoang's earlier novels have heavy topics but still brim with steamy yet cute romances. The Heart Principle is drastically darker in tone and focuses a lot less on the romance. The blurb for this book is beyond misleading. This is a meaningful look at the burdens of caregiving and the struggle to find acceptance from your family rather than a sweet romance.
There is technically a romance plot, which starts out super cute!, but the book largely lives in the nightmare of Anna forced to be a caregiver for her father while subject to cruel treatment from her family. There was no swoony happily ever after/happy for now. After about the first 30% of the book, the romance becomes largely a source of more pain and frustration for Anna as she tries to figure out how to balance her growing feelings for Quan as her world crumbles around her. I really, really would've loved a more sweetness between the two of them in this story, particularly after enduring an emotionally grueling significant chunk of the book.
I don't think enjoy is the right word but I did find The Heart Principle an emotionally gripping read. I loved Anna and Quan, which made watching them have horrible things happen to them really hurt. Anna in particular is forced to endure so many cutting remarks and horrible treatment. The way others treated her regularly filled me with rage. It was clear even before the author's note that this story was deeply personal for Hoang. Her writing has always excelled at delivering emotional punches but The Heart Principle was a whole new level.
This is a dark, heavy read that does not really have the clean resolution that I expect from romances. I knew it was going to be a hard and potentially triggering read but was still not prepared for the reality. The Heart Principle is a very different experience from Hoang's other books.
The Heart Principle is a big deviation in tone from The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test. Hoang's earlier novels have heavy topics but still brim with steamy yet cute romances. The Heart Principle is drastically darker in tone and focuses a lot less on the romance. The blurb for this book is beyond misleading. This is a meaningful look at the burdens of caregiving and the struggle to find acceptance from your family rather than a sweet romance.
There is technically a romance plot, which starts out super cute!, but the book largely lives in the nightmare of Anna forced to be a caregiver for her father while subject to cruel treatment from her family. There was no swoony happily ever after/happy for now. After about the first 30% of the book, the romance becomes largely a source of more pain and frustration for Anna as she tries to figure out how to balance her growing feelings for Quan as her world crumbles around her. I really, really would've loved a more sweetness between the two of them in this story, particularly after enduring an emotionally grueling significant chunk of the book.
I don't think enjoy is the right word but I did find The Heart Principle an emotionally gripping read. I loved Anna and Quan, which made watching them have horrible things happen to them really hurt. Anna in particular is forced to endure so many cutting remarks and horrible treatment. The way others treated her regularly filled me with rage. It was clear even before the author's note that this story was deeply personal for Hoang. Her writing has always excelled at delivering emotional punches but The Heart Principle was a whole new level.
This is a dark, heavy read that does not really have the clean resolution that I expect from romances. I knew it was going to be a hard and potentially triggering read but was still not prepared for the reality. The Heart Principle is a very different experience from Hoang's other books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Medical content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Vomit
caseythereader's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
5.0
Thanks to Libro FM for the free advance listening copy of this book.
- The second I finished the audiobook I needed to own my own copy of this incredible book. (And a sidenote that the audio is excellent: separate narrators for Anna and Quan's POV's really helped this audiobook newbie keep track of the plot.)
- It is a romance novel, but it's a HARD one. So many difficult things happen, ranging from family not accepting an autism diagnosis to terminal illness, but Anna and Quan are so tender that it's worth the tears. (Yes, I cried, and I am not a book crier.)
- Hoang is so great at writing multifaceted characters who just need someone to see them for who they are. Oh dear, I'm crying again just thinking about how kindly Quan treats Anna, especially when she doesn't treat herself with kindness.
- The second I finished the audiobook I needed to own my own copy of this incredible book. (And a sidenote that the audio is excellent: separate narrators for Anna and Quan's POV's really helped this audiobook newbie keep track of the plot.)
- It is a romance novel, but it's a HARD one. So many difficult things happen, ranging from family not accepting an autism diagnosis to terminal illness, but Anna and Quan are so tender that it's worth the tears. (Yes, I cried, and I am not a book crier.)
- Hoang is so great at writing multifaceted characters who just need someone to see them for who they are. Oh dear, I'm crying again just thinking about how kindly Quan treats Anna, especially when she doesn't treat herself with kindness.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infertility, Medical content, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Vomit
clairestream's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content
Minor: Vomit
ashlightgrayson's review
emotional
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
4.5
This book is mainly a romance, but it is also so much more. Quan has recovered from a major surgery that has changed many aspects of his life and affected his self esteem. Anna is a professional musician who is struggling to live up to the recent success of her last live performance. They end up trying to have a one night stand, but fail multiple times and in the process start to find a friend in one another. Anna struggles with setting boundaries in her personal relationships and her internal emotional struggle with that is intriguing. We see her interact consistently with her family and she is consistently dismissed and talked down to by multiple members of her family. She also struggles with social interactions and communication in general, even in her own romantic relationship at the beginning of the book. This leaves her open to judgment from others when she does not comply to their wants and needs. Her entire life she has conceded to others even at her own expense.
Anna has an unfortunate event within her family that pushes her mental health and personal boundaries farther then ever before. The topic of caregiver fatigue and the judgment that comes from not being well suited to that role are heavily explored. I previously volunteered at a hospice, so these topics strongly resonated with me and I feel it gives a lot of insight for individuals who have never been exposed to this topic. I appreciated how it also gave perspective as to how culture can affect a family's perspective on caregiving.
Just as Anna is judged by her family, Quan is judged in a similar manner for his appearance (namely his shaved head and tattoos). He struggles in both his personal and professional life to be taken seriously because of his appearance. Deep down however, it's clear that he is a responsible and hardworking. He is a loving person in his personal life, even to people he barely knows. When he meets Anna, he is incredibly understanding and non-judgmental. He provides her the support she didn't know she needed without asking for anything in return.
Through their relationship, Quan is able to be more comfortable with himself. Anna learns to put her own emotional and mental well being before the wants and needs of others. Best of all, both of them gain a friend in each other. They each have insecurities, but their relationship helps them grow to be better. It always makes me happy to see that in any relationship. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to read a romance novel that has a lot of emotional depth and healing (and topics noted in the trigger warnings if that is of interest to you).
Anna has an unfortunate event within her family that pushes her mental health and personal boundaries farther then ever before. The topic of caregiver fatigue and the judgment that comes from not being well suited to that role are heavily explored. I previously volunteered at a hospice, so these topics strongly resonated with me and I feel it gives a lot of insight for individuals who have never been exposed to this topic. I appreciated how it also gave perspective as to how culture can affect a family's perspective on caregiving.
Just as Anna is judged by her family, Quan is judged in a similar manner for his appearance (namely his shaved head and tattoos). He struggles in both his personal and professional life to be taken seriously because of his appearance. Deep down however, it's clear that he is a responsible and hardworking. He is a loving person in his personal life, even to people he barely knows. When he meets Anna, he is incredibly understanding and non-judgmental. He provides her the support she didn't know she needed without asking for anything in return.
Through their relationship, Quan is able to be more comfortable with himself. Anna learns to put her own emotional and mental well being before the wants and needs of others. Best of all, both of them gain a friend in each other. They each have insecurities, but their relationship helps them grow to be better. It always makes me happy to see that in any relationship. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to read a romance novel that has a lot of emotional depth and healing (and topics noted in the trigger warnings if that is of interest to you).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Cancer, Vomit, and Infertility
essie__reads's review against another edition
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!
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Infertility, Grief, Cancer, and Medical content
Minor: Alcohol, Cursing, and Vomit
madamepincers's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Cancer, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, and Medical content
Moderate: Infertility
Minor: Vomit
Autistic burnoutnebraskanwriter's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
malka's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Vomit
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