The Heart Principle is a fantastic continuation of Helen Hoang’s other reads, but can also be read as a standalone as it is within the world but doesn’t rely on needing to know the plot of the other two books. It is a superb insight into a neurodiverse mind, as I rooted for Anna to find closure and satisfaction not only in the wonderful romance with Quan, who is one of the best romance male leads I have read so far, but also with her family situation. I was shouting for someone to advocate for Anna throughout, but this had me laughing and crying throughout, a fantastic read and excellent addition to the rom com community.

This book had me emotional! Anna was so relatable to me! And to find out that it is a half memoir makes it all the more special. The highlight for me was the emotional love of Anna and Quan. I have always wanted a love story like that and because I see myself in Anna that is a possibility and I’ll always be greatfull to Helen Hoang for giving us this precious story.

Helen Hoang has done it again. She is now an automatic buy author for me! I have loved The Kiss Quotient series so far and the latest instalment did not disappoint.

The Heart Principle follows Anna, a violinist, who is struggling with burnout, anxiety and the expectations everyone has put on her. When her boyfriend Julian suggests they take a break to have an open relationship so he can date other women before marriage, Anna decides to join a dating app to find someone to have a one stand with- enter Quan.

I loved this book, Hoang’s writing style makes her books so easy to read! I always like all of the characters she creates but it was nice to see Michael and Stella again in this book. I also enjoyed seeing another side to Quan than we’ve seen in the other two books.

The best part of The Heart Principle in my opinion was the focus on masking, specifically in autistic girls. I connected to that personally because my daughter is autistic and she masks a lot (particularly at school). Helen did a fantastic job of explaining it and showing another side to autism that often isn’t known or talked about. People who have no knowledge or experience usually think of the “rainman” stereotype when they think of autistic people so hopefully this series will give a little insight in to other aspects.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and I can honestly say this book DESTROYED me. I finished it after midnight because I had to keep going. I had to see if Anna was able to have her family treat her the way she deserved and to treat HERSELF the way she deserved. I had to see if Quan could learn to love his body again. I HAD TO KNOW!
The frustration and agony and heartache that Hoang was able to convey in this book - incredible. As were the moments of humour and love and cosyness. I. Love. This. Book. I cried. I laughed. My heart ached. I felt frustrated. I felt devastated for anyone in Anna's position (or honestly just anyone at all) who's EVER been treated like that, dismissed like that, by someone, never mind the fact those someones are family!
You can praise this book in all the contemporary ways - neurodiverse rep, poc rep, poc author, neurodiverse author, own voices, mental health rep, emotional, sexy... - Helen Hoang has made that list go on and on without ever compromising her writing or her story to stuff important rep into her novel (which is a skill on it's own worth praising) - but this is also just a damn. good. read.

☆☆☆¾

This was such a fun read and I’m glad I picked it up, it was the perfect length and I loved the characters - especially Anna and seeing her develop, I’ll definitely be picking up the other 2 books in this series.

This has to be my favourite one so far of the series.

Anna is an accomplished violinist who has toured and been offered a record deal but she doesn't know she's autistic. Until her therapist suggests that she may be suffering from an autistic burnout as she can't get through a piece of music written for her.

Quan is Michael's cousin (if you've read the kiss quotient then you know when he is) and Khai's older brother (the bride test). In the previous two books you get hints if who he is as a person but this book stripes him back as a character. He questions his worth as a man because of his battle with testicular cancer.

These two characters meet by chance on a dating app because Anna's long term boyfriend decided to open their relationship to see if they were really meant for eachother. He decided. Not they decided together. Quan puts himself on dating apps to get himself back out there again.

The concept of masking is a strong part of this story as Anna realise after talking to her therapist that is how she's concept most of her life, pretending to be someone else in society.

And with Quan she doesn't have too. Their relationship isn't exactly as straight forward as it was only meant to be a one night stand.

This book is very cute, not as steamy as the other ones but it really doesn't need to be. I really really enjoyed reading it.

The author's notes show this book has a lot of Helen Hoang in it more so than the previous two which makes the whole thing even more special to read.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy.

<b> Helen Hoang has done it again!! </b>

Firstly, I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Netgalley and Atlantic Books for allowing me the chance to read this beautiful book!

Okay, where to start? The Heart Principle is the third book in Hoang's 'The Kiss Quotient' series, with this instalment featuring Quan, Michael's cousin that we are first introduced to in book 1. I was waiting for his book and this did not disappoint!

After going viral by accident as a result of being her 'usual clumsy self' Anna is a famous violinist struggling with her latest piece as well as other people's expectations of her, including her boyfriend, Julian. All of a sudden, literally chapter 2 less than 20 pages in Julian suggests a break to sleep with other people and 'explore' before they settle down together. At this point I was in shock and reading out loud to my boyfriend like 'you would never do this to me right?!' Anna is initially taken aback, but after some encouragement from her online friends, she decides to take advantage too and downloads a few dating apps, where surprise surprise she matches with Quan.

What ensues is such an endearing relationship with perhaps the most understanding and kind book boyfriend I have ever read (SWOON?!).

<spoiler> I love the fact they took the relationship somewhat slow, which in my opinion is more realistic and offered better character and relationship development than if they had conformed to hook up ONS culture. As if the open relationship wasn't enough, Anna is then hit with an autism diagnosis and caring responsibilities for her father after he suffers a stroke. </spoiler>
The fact the book was written in the first person, rather than third as in previous instalments really allowed the reader to get inside the heads of both characters, but I loved the complexity that came with understanding Anna. The way Hoang described her thoughts, feelings and fears was so raw yet real and really resonated with me on a personal level. Everyone loves to see themselves somehow in a book and I really felt that with this one.

Don't walk, RUN to read this one!!

Helen Hoang has stated that this is her most personal book yet, and I feel like that really comes through in the writing and the plot.

I was totally absorbed by The Heart Principle and sat there rooting for Anna and Quan right from the beginning (though Anna's insufferable family did have me pulling hairs at times!).

This is not a frilly romance - it goes deep. It's emotional. It covers heavy topics. But I promise it's worth a read, and I think it's my favorite of the series!

“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?”

This might be Helen Hoang’s best book yet!

After loving “The Kiss Quotient” and being quite disappointed with “The Bride’s test”, I didn’t know what to expect from “The Heart Principle”— and let me tell you, Anna and Quan’s story was devastatingly beautiful. I ached for these characters and the author’s prose shone thorough all the book.

The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang is a deeply personal, intense and poignant story centred around virtuoso violinist Anna as she struggles to overcome burnout, navigate an unhappy relationship and come to terms with her Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis.

After suddenly becoming an internet sensation, leading to a famous composer writing a special piece for her, Anna finds herself crippled by expectation and unable to play despite having recording and concert deadlines looming. Her long-term boyfriend, although handsome, wealthy and loved by her family, doesn't appreciate the strain she is under and, instead of offering comfort, breaks the news that he wants them to have an open relationship before they finally settle down.

Feeling dejected, reeling from her ASD diagnosis, and unable to turn to her family for support, Anna decides she will have a string of one night stands too and put into practice her therapist's advice to stop trying to please everyone else.

Gorgeous, tattooed, motorbiking Quan seems like the perfect candidate, although he also has his own reasons for wanting a brief hookup. After several false starts the sex is undeniably smouldering, but it soon becomes obvious that there is a lot more to their connection. He seems to understands her on a very deep level and is able to help her get through incredibly difficult times.

The writer draws on several aspects of her own experience, including her ASD diagnosis, making this a deeply personal and emotional read. She makes it clear that it isn't obvious who has ASD and people can experience it in very different ways.

Reading this book was a complete joy, it took a few chapters but then I was completely immersed! It was more emotional than I was expecting but also super steamy and romantic!

I loved ‘The Kiss Quotient’ and ‘The Bride Test’ so I’m not surprised at how quickly I fell in love with ‘The Heart Principle’.

Following the story of Anna and Quan, this book is not only an epic love story, but also deals with important topics such as toxic relationships, masking with autism, grief, and living in the shadow of your health. This novel felt poignant and personal, and after reading the author’s note, I know why - Helen Hoang is incredibly talented in her ability to voice her personal experiences on page, and her bravery in sharing her experiences only serves to make ‘The Heart Principle’ even better.

I loved everything about this book, from the beautiful relationship between Anna and Quan, to Anna’s struggles with her family, and Quan’s determination to prove stereotyping wrong, and feel worthy of his life. I particularly enjoyed Anna’s love of the violin as I used to play the violin (nowhere near as well as Anna of course!). As always, I appreciated the dual perspective approach, as it ensured the story belonged to both Anna and Quan in equal measure.

The Heart Prinicple follows Anna and her new relationship with Quan which develops after her boyfriend says he wants an open relationship. This book has loveable, complex characters with a whole host of fully developed side characters too. With this being the third in the series, it is nice to see familiar faces along the way such as Micheal and Stella from the first book.
Hoangs writing is upbeat and hilarious which makes for the perfect beach/summer read. She also deals with difficult topics such as serious illness and family issues with compassion and sensitivity.
This is the perfect for readers who love a rom com but also like to know the characters backstories and all their flaws which makes them more loveable than ever! Plus Quan is sooo hot
4/5 Stars

I finished this book about 10 seconds ago, it has taken me less than 24 hours to read it because I could not put it down.

This is book is more than a rom-com, more than a romance novel. It was raw, real yet so wholesome.
If you pick this book up, make sure you have read The Kiss quotient and The Bride Test first as I feel like even though they are separate books together it's just a wonderful reading experience and honestly, each book gets better.

The Heart Principles is about Quan and Anna.

Quan is someone who we have met in the first two books. Anna is a violinist, she even went viral on YouTube, but she has a bad case of creative block. Quan is Michael Phan's cousin and best friend, and Khai's older brother. There is a large gap of time between the second book and the third, though it is unclear how much. Quan is a testicular cancer survivor and knows he needs to get himself back out on the dating scene even if he is secretly nervous about it. He connects with Anna, whose long-term partner whats to take a break (I won't spoil why, but man it p*ssed me off hhaha) and they both want a one-night stand, but, that fails, more than once.

These books really dig deep into autism, one of the main characters from each book is on the autism spectrum and deal with their autism so differently, it's not a one size fits all and I think it's really important to understand that and Helen writes it perfectly. I didn't know much about Helen Hoang and I urged everyone to read the author's notes at the end of this book, it shows you how much of Helen is in Anna. I am actually struggling to put into words how amazing this book is, the pain and the struggles Anna goes through with her music, dealing with being a carer giver, dealing with all types of burnout, and the main struggle of with living her life with no clue she is autistic, finding out and everything clicking, the way she wears her mask, how she thinks and lives her life all finally start to make sense.

This book is more than a boy meets girl love story, it is a story of discovering yourself, your voice, who you are as a person, healing and growing, and yes finding love for both yourself and in someone else.

My only wish was that it was longer, I would have loved to see more Khai in this book, in fact, we hardly see him nor does Anna have any interaction really with any of Quans family, I would have loved to read about her meeting Stella, Khai, Esme, Vy, etc I am holding out some hope that we might get a Vy book and maybe see all the characters again.

Add this to your baskets now!

I went into The Heart Principle with fairly high expectations because I loved both previous books in the series, and my anticipation only increased with all the bookstagram love and features and oh my god this book did NOT disappoint!

I have been waiting for Quan’s story and this was everything I hoped it would be and more – can you say ultimate book boyfriend?! This story pulled you in from the start and both Quan and Anna were the most likeable of characters, with their own personal challenges, insecurities and struggles that they were facing alone and together. There was also an emphasis on self-compassion and self-acceptance, which I think are so important and something we could all learn to incorporate into our lives a little more.

As with the previous two books, autism plays a key part of this story, as does family – their dynamics and expectations, mental health, post-illness dating, the struggles and challenges caregivers face, cultural differences, and creative struggles.

This book is one of my favourites so far this year and it’s made me want to read the first two in the series all over again.

I cannot stress this enough, but if you do nothing else, please please stick around and read Hoang’s authors note at the end. It is honest, raw, touching and so personal. I related to certain elements so much and I think many people will read both this book and this note and realise that they are not alone, as I hope Hoang does when reciving feedback on this book. I can only imagine how terrifying but hopefully freeing it was to put thought thoughts and feelings into words and onto paper and then launching them into the world and I thank Hoang for her honesty because it made me feel seen as well as providing me with a greater understanding for some of the topics and issues she discussed that I myself don’t have personal experience of.

Highly, highly recommend this book, author, and series!

This was one of the best books I’ve read all year, an instant five star read! I’ve loved Helen Hoang since reading the Kiss Quotient, whilst on the outside her books appear to be typical romance stories they always end up being so much more, the heart principle deals with trauma, tense family dynamics, adult autism diagnosis and learning to love yourself as you are,

Rating: 4.5 stars

Following the lives of Anna and Quan, the heart principle had exactly the sweet kind of romance I wanted, though it felt like the romance took more of a backseat in contrast to other more central plots of the story. I think it's important to recognise that this book was so much more than its romantic aspects and definitely doesn’t fall into the light-hearted romcom category. Both Anna and Quan have incredibly written storylines, everything felt so personal and their experiences were so moving and well developed. This book definitely tugged on my heartstrings several times and a few tears may have been shed :)

It did get hard to read at certain points, and I would definitely recommend checking out the trigger warnings before starting because this book does not touch on certain themes lightly and particularly got quite heavy during the latter part of the book. Speaking of the final part of the book, the last chapters did feel slightly rushed and I feel like the conclusion deserved to be drawn out a little longer.

The chemistry Quan and Anna shared was beautiful, and I loved seeing their relationship together develop throughout. I really adore both of them and have enjoyed reading their story so much, especially with the appearances of other certain characters. My thoughts are actually still whirring from just finishing this book, all I have left to say is that this book is definitely my favourite out of the trilogy, it was so well written and I felt so many things. PLEASE !! read it.

Trigger warnings:

Anxiety, depression, ableism, cancer, toxic family relationships, suicidal ideation, death of a loved one, burnout, grief, emotional abuse

Thank you @netgalley for the opportunity to review this.
From the beginning I felt such empathy for Anna. The author’s portrayal of a woman with autism was described so truthfully, from the masking to the autism burnout. The story of how she meets Quan and the difficulties she has in being honest about what she likes and doesn’t like broke me. His careful regard for her and his desire to know her and show such concern for her made me wish there were more people in the world like this. To understand her feelings of panic, her desire to please her family and the energy it takes for her to do this shows what real love should be like.
Whilst it is a heartbreaking yet heart warming story, what really resonated with me was that by learning to be herself Anna was able to come through her burnout. Alongside, this the author explores the role of caregivers and the draining emotional effect it has on the family. This is such a difficult topic as the sense of duty is there but the lack of recognition that not everyone can do it. There is also the question of what their father wants and when he was truly lost.
The reaction of Anna’s sister when she tells her she has autism is such a sad but true reflection of how others do react even family.
I loved this book and would highly recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I don't often read straight romance novels - I usually prefer a mix of genres. But this book blew me away. Hoang's writing draws you straight into the narrative, and the characters of Anna and Quan jump right off the page. This book deals with so many issues with such a light touch, while also packing an emotional punch. I'll definitely be getting the rest of the series!

This was such a powerful, poignant story and heart warmingI doubt I can do it justice in a review.

As with this author’s previous (brilliant) books, the main character - Anna - is on the autism spectrum and it was a real eye opener for me. Anne masks for others, carefully presents a face to the world she thinks others expect to see. That truly landed with me. When a family member became ill, we experience what it’s like to care for someone who is unable to communicate their wishes through Anna which I thought was a brilliant way of reflecting on Anna’s own life; but more than that, it felt so poignant and authentic. It was sobering to read yet so heartfelt, it blew me away.

The romance between Qwan and Anna was an absolute joy to read - thoughtful, well paced and just so hot. I don’t mean to lower the tone, but can I just say the smut was scorchio with some unusual details that made the smut scenes feel fresh and original. All of the feels.

I absolutely loved this and will be boring everyone I know talking about it and urging them to read this blooming masterpiece. Highly recommended.

Complete story, stand-alone but featuring recurring characters.