Reviews

Načelo srca by Helen Hoang

flotrenza's review against another edition

5.0

How dare Helen do that to me? I'm crying at 2am in the morning.

crina12's review against another edition

informative 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? Yes

1.5

I HATED this book so much. I genuinely don't know how I managed to finish it. I was cringing the whole way through. I listened to it on 2.5 speed so I could be done with it faster. The only reason it gets a 1.5 is because I thought the representation of autism, caregiver fatigue, and performance fatigue are important topics to be in a book and I can acknowledge that it may help someone who goes through it. But this book was absolutely not for me.

readingwithrae's review against another edition

4.0

4.5 stars.

listen if the ending wasn't rushed this would've been a solid 5 but it was and i'm sad about it. anyway, this made me cry and i love quan even more than i already did (also anna is precious, i love her so much? my fave of the kiss quotient ladies by far.)

ms_isaacson's review against another edition

3.0

This was well written but very hard to get through. I listened to the audiobook and had to skip ahead quite a bit. Quite an intense story.

brendadiaz's review against another edition

4.0

Books like this is the reason why I’m a SUCKER for contemporary romances

hgriddle_'s review against another edition

3.0

I loved what the author was trying to do with this book and I think she touched on a lot of important topics that aren't really touched on in books. At the same time, I thought it was super cheesy and I didn't feel super connected to the characters. Also read this book out of order and did not read the first 2 books in the "series" so unsure if that has something to do with it. Although I did see that they can be read as standalone's so idk

alainajreads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

4.75

I enjoyed the previous two books in Helen Hoang’s Kiss Quotient series, but this one was easily my favorite. Unlike the previous books, it was written in the first person and is the most personal and autobiographical of the three as per the author’s note.

When violinist Anna Sun’s long-term boyfriend tells her he wants an open relationship, she meets Quan Diep through a dating app, and a string of failed one-night stands bring them closer as they build their trust in each other. Newly diagnosed with autism, Anna struggles with burnout that manifests more deeply when tragedy strikes her family and she takes on the role of caretaker for her terminally ill father. As more than just a romance, The Heart Principle is a story about the struggles of caretaking, mental health, and dealing with autistic burnout and pressure from one’s family.

I love Hoang’s writing style and felt drawn to Anna and Quan’s individual stories as they learned to accept themselves and supported each other. As an autistic woman I saw a lot of myself in Anna. Quan and Anna’s romantic and sexual chemistry, communication, and honesty was lovely, and they’re probably my favorite of the 3 couples in the trilogy. I enjoyed seeing Michael and Stella as recurring characters (but wished Khai and Esme had made appearances as well). This was a beautiful, touching, and hopeful end to a heartfelt, romantic series.

_sarahtoner's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

thriftstorebooks's review against another edition

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

cavityfila's review against another edition

3.0

Very dark and depressing read.