Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang

257 reviews

meeklovestoread's review

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emotional funny lighthearted sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I read this book about two months ago so I quite frankly don't remember much. I do recall liking this slightly better than "The Bride Test" so I rated it a 3.75 (but part of me wanted to rate it a 3.5/5). I honestly wasn't going to pick this up, but I really enjoyed Quan in the last book so I was excited to read his love story. Now, I just want to warn people that if you're going into this thinking that it will be a rom-com, DON'T! I feel like this should've been marketed as "women's fiction" with a romance subplot rather than a romance. If it was, I probably would've rated it higher. The romance was going for the first part of the book, but after the second part, the romance takes a major backseat. This would've been a nice women's fiction book that tackles depression, people pleasing, cultural expectations, autism, and sibling relations
Her mom and sister were awful!
, coming into your sexual desires, and the struggles of being of a caregiver (especially for family). I really enjoyed Anna as a character, but I think she kinda sucked when it came to being a love interest.
I applaud Quan's patience because it couldn't be me. I forgot the scene specifically but there was a time in the book when her people-pleasing went too far. I think her ex announces to their entire family that they're engaged and she just goes along with it. And doesn't correct them. Then Quan finds out and honestly, if I were him, I wouldn't get back with her. Honestly, there were times when Anna frustrated me so much! Her inability to have any agency just annoyed me so much. Like I know that was the point, but still. It was too much!
Anna was in no place to give him the love that he needed and I ended up feeling so bad for Quan and wasn't really rooting for them to get together. Quan was a sweetheart and although I liked Anna. I definitely feel like he deserved much better!

Spice Rating:🌶️🌶️.5/5
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jimins's review against another edition

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

4.0

absolutely loved anna and quan together. but a lot of what anna went thru definitely hit home and i struggled reading thru that part. but im glad it’s something helen hoang chose to highlight in this book along with autism. 
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ndmngz's review

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challenging emotional sad medium-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? Yes

5.0

I absolutely adored this book.

Quan and Anna were an amazing match of characters as love interests. The love that grew between them was a bit fast, but it didn't feel like unrealistic insta-love, it more so felt like two people who understood each other and fit right together finding each other at the right time. I wish I got more development of Quan's backstory, but it was certainly a plot focused on Anna's struggles. Quan wasn't a flat character by any means though (I just loved him and wanted more), he stood firm and fought for his relationship with Anna and understood his place as a new partner in her family struggles, but still advocated for himself when things were pushed too far.

I will say, this is not the rom-com it appears to be. Though the other books in the series tackle serious and emotional topics in parallel with the romance, this book is even more of a heavy hitter. Huang tackles a lot of topics that are reflective of her own experiences, more so than any other of the books she's written (according to her Author's Note), and because of this the writing is even more poignant, intentional, and impactful. It was more of a contemporary fiction with a subplot of romance, and though it wasn't what I expected, I truly loved it and was moved to tears at the end. Huang beautifully articulates the painful struggle of being poorly treated and regarded by family, while still loving them and feeling the need to adhere to family obligations. As well as a very rough and real portrayal of mental health, grappling with diagnoses and adjusting your world view as an adult, and how family fits into that picture.

Please note some trigger warnings include emotional abuse from family members, familial illness and death, caregiver burnout, and suicidal ideation.
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saskiahill's review against another edition

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challenging emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes

4.0

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erinlaura's review

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challenging dark emotional inspiring sad medium-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? Yes

4.5

In each of the books in the series there was something significant the characters had to overcome, but this was by far the hardest heaviest read of the 3. The cover is giving light, fun romcom, and then you crack open the book and it gets so real so fast. 
I mean it, this book was full of heavy topics like
going through an autism diagnosis, autistic burnout, the illness of a family member, and the struggle of suddenly becoming a caregiver for a critically ill family member,
while dealing with really complex family dynamics. 
This is a romance for sure, and while I loved the couple, there was a lot more to this than simply their love story. The book is excellent, and I definitely recommend reading it, but make sure you check trigger warnings. Before starting it make sure you know that it’s a lot deeper than the cover might suggest, and might take more of an emotional toll on you than the average romance novel. 
If you’re in the right mindset for something so intense, it’s a very well written story, with an immense amount of character depth, a compelling story, and a diverse set of characters! 
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maireadalice's review

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3.25

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amandadelbrocco's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-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? Yes

5.0

 My favorite of the series so far. This book felt incredibly mismarketed... though it's technically part of the same series, this book was completely on a different plane than the first two. Despite that, I absolutely loved the story and I found myself sobbing at 3 in the morning. The characters were so incredibly nuanced and it was so well done. However, Quan has been my favorite character in this series from the beginning so I really feel like he and Anna deserve book 3.5 with their happy ending. 
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roussette31's review

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challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-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

3.5

This book was highly emotional, but I really liked it. The romance in it was super cute, and the character development was so well done on both sides. 
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angelfireeast24's review

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I thought this was going to be a romance but it's more a heartbreaking story about Anna. There is romance but I can't deal with so much pain right now
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teatunesandtales's review

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

Part fiction, part memoir. Thank you Helen Hoang for writing my story also.
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