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kellyofcali's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
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
4.5
This book was a delight of a romance - the romance itself was wonderful, yes, but so was the wraparound plot and characters, including their fears and anxieties, their neurodiversity, their joy and warmth. A really wonderful and well-written romance novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Medical content
Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, and Gaslighting
Minor: Emotional abuse
bookcasey's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Sexual content
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Infidelity, Grief, Classism, Body shaming, and Cancer
Minor: Sexual harassment
midge_x's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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? It's complicated
5.0
Helen Hoang writes in a way that is both informative and captivating. I originally picked up the The Love Quotient as someone who loves romcoms and maths and thought “aw this looks cute” but came away wanting more. The Bride Test is no different. Exploring the autism spectrum in such a way that you learn whilst falling in love with the characters. As someone who has close friends on the spectrum, I can wholeheartedly say that this has helped me to understand them even more. Anna and Quan are truly characters to fall in love with and I’ve come away from this booking excited to read more. Maybe sister Vy can be next?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Terminal illness, and Medical content
Moderate: Emotional abuse
marissalouisee's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
I loved the Heart Principle, another amazing story by Helen Hoang. I loved the blooming love between Anna and Quan, but I took off .5 because generally this novel is very sad. it’s very reminiscent of real life in that way, but i usually read to escape, so this one wasn’t the 5 star that the Bride Test and the Kiss Quotient were for me!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Infertility, Medical trauma, Terminal illness, and Ableism
in_love_with_bookish's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.0
I do wonder if she’s acting just like I am. How much of what people say is genuine and how much is politeness? Is anyone really living their life or are we all reading lines from a giant script written by other people?
I was under the impression that this was Quan Diep’s book, I feel like I was wrong because the story feels unbalanced to me. Honestly, I’m a little disappointed that we didn’t get to see much of Quan’s story compared to the female MC.
Having specific expectations out of a story can really hinder your enjoyment and that’s exactly what happened with The Heart Principle. It’s still a great intimate story but I just wanted to know Quan deeply as I came to know the other characters that came before him.
The book revolves around Anna Sun, a violinist who achieved huge career success with an accidental viral YouTube Video and who’s now struggling with burnout as she tries to recapture that moment of pure genius and beauty. Anna is also under a lot of pressure because of her boyfriend who suddenly wants an open relationship.
Hearts aren’t designed to feel anything too intensely for too long, be it joy, sorrow, or anger. Everything passes in time. All colors fade.
Exhausted, angry, and hurt, Anna decides to embrace this change in her love life and embark on a string of one-night stands. Enter tattooed, motorcycle-riding Quan Diep who is not who seems to be.
What starts as just a one-night stand develops into a genuine relationship that gives both characters strength not only to open up about their vulnerabilities but also to be intimate, brave, and honest in ways they’ve never been before.
No one should need a diagnosis in order to be compassionate to themselves.
Even though this is a beautiful emotional romance novel about two souls coming together and connecting deeply and effortlessly, it’s also more than just a romance. The book deals with a lot of important subjects like Anna being diagnosed with ASD later in her life and having to make sense of what’s really behind the struggles she’s been through all her life. Not only that but Anna is also struggling with taking care of her terminally ill father and how draining seeing him in pain as well as navigating her complicated relationship with her sister and mother. Quan is also struggling with body image and insecurities. Both are under a lot of expectations and it's draining them both.
For that’s the only place where true perfection exists—the blank page. Nothing I actually do can compete with the boundless potential of what I could do. But if I allow the fear of imperfection to trap me in perpetual beginnings, I’ll never create anything again.
It’s totally clear that this book was written from a personal experience and it has so much heart and feelings and raw vulnerability. But as much as Anna's character was developed brilliantly, Quan’s character arc on the other hand felt like an afterthought. There was this huge lack of balance when it comes to developing the two main characters and it actually kept me from falling in love with the book.
I think the author favored Anna’s character so much and so clearly that I felt that Quan’s issues felt unseen and neglected and that made me feel conflicted in an upsetting way. I think people go through different struggles and to put one struggle way ahead of another in terms of exploring it and giving it the space and the nuance it demands feels wrong to me somehow.
I can't brush it aside just because I don't understand it. I can't place judgement on it. Pain is pain. I know what it's like to hurt and for others not to understand.
Anyway, The Heart Principle is still a great romance novel that deals with so many themes and issues in an intimate honest, and raw way that left me feeling hollowed out at times and full of hope and beauty at others. The emotions are real, the struggles are deep and the emotional connection we feel between its two main characters is as genuine as it gets. Helen Hoang gave it her all and it clearly shows.
The only good thing this broken heart of mine can feel is love for you.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Medical trauma, and Terminal illness
melody__fitz's review against another edition
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Medical trauma
Moderate: Death of parent
citymouse's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This is nothing I expected it to be. If you want a book about extreme mental roadblocks to standing up for yourself and emotional fatigue, this is the book for you. If you want a romance anything like Hoang's previous books, maybe look for something different or reread the first two in the trilogy because this book is the farthest thing from being romantic, even though there is technically a relationship starting within these pages. It fell flat for me and I needed to skip through entire sections because I was simply bogged down with annoyance and frustration for the situation and choices the main character made. The Heart Principle is an extremely dense book that has you wading through medical trauma, abusive relationships, and a majorly emotionally taxing undertaking.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Confinement, and Ableism
Minor: Racism
jackie_recommends's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
Ok so, first and foremost, this was well worth the wait.
Secondly, Helen, thank you so much for this book. To me, it was amazing. It deals with some pretty heavy things, and it does it well, and it does it in a way that feels authentic.
The Kiss Quotient was the first book I had ever read that featured a main character, let alone a heroine, with ASD, and I stayed up past midnight to finish that one. The Bride Test was more difficult for me to love, but upon rereading it I appreciated the culture and the storyline so much more. And now we have Heart Principle, a book that truly feels like it’s Helen’s baby; for those who don’t read author’s notes or acknowledgments, I encourage you to do so for this book, and for Helen’s other two books- they enrich the story and really put everything into perspective.
This is not a romcom. Not in the slightest.
But it does feel real.
Secondly, Helen, thank you so much for this book. To me, it was amazing. It deals with some pretty heavy things, and it does it well, and it does it in a way that feels authentic.
The Kiss Quotient was the first book I had ever read that featured a main character, let alone a heroine, with ASD, and I stayed up past midnight to finish that one. The Bride Test was more difficult for me to love, but upon rereading it I appreciated the culture and the storyline so much more. And now we have Heart Principle, a book that truly feels like it’s Helen’s baby; for those who don’t read author’s notes or acknowledgments, I encourage you to do so for this book, and for Helen’s other two books- they enrich the story and really put everything into perspective.
This is not a romcom. Not in the slightest.
But it does feel real.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Death, Death of parent, Medical trauma, and Terminal illness
kingrosereads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.25
I waited for Quan’s story and this exceeded my expectations. At first, the switch to first person threw me, but after reading the author’s note about the book, it all made sense and gave the book even more meaning. This book was incredible and was more than just love and sex. Way more. It talked about a lot of intense things and what it’s like to get a diagnosis later in life that changes so much for someone as well as dealing with being a caregiver to a loved one and the challenges that come with it (something that isn’t often talked about). I related so much with Anna in more ways than one and really appreciate this book for existing. I love Quan and Anna’s relationship so much, I’m so glad there was a conversation about the aftermath of cancer had on a man, especially one as sexually positive as Quan.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Death of parent, Medical content, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, and Ableism
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Toxic relationship
kayladaila's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, and Torture
Moderate: Addiction, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Infidelity
Minor: Cursing, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Vomit, and Xenophobia