laurelsmith3'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
4.5
a8bhatia's review against another edition
5.0
An absolutely amazing book. Helen Hoang outdid herself, by placing her heart and the heart of Anna ine each word written in this book. I loved the balance between cute moments and expressing the turmoil that Anna was experiencing. This was not your regular rom com!
cameronquinn's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
slow-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
2.75
zoiejanelle's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
(listened to audio book from library)
REVIEW TRIGGER WARNINGS BEFORE READING THIS BOOK!
i devoured this book. i was up until 3am reading this and good LORD was it worth it.
i would definitely classify this as contemporary fiction and not a romance because the main focal point was Anna’s struggle to accept and honor herself, not the love story. though i liked the love story—which added fantastic levity to the serious topics presented here despite also being pretty rocky—i was completely sold by Anna’s arc: her diagnosis, accepting a caretaker role, the epiphany about her needs, her growth.
once again, Helen Hoang perfectly captures the neurodivergent experience. Anna’s relationship with her family, her friends, herself, and her art were so relatable and heart-wrenching. i can only describe my feelings/reactions towards the ongoing conflicts related to her autism as VISCERAL. chapter 41 literally caused me to sob into a pillow. i am not kidding. i had to try very hard to stifle my weeping.
the ending, though extremely fast-paced was satisfying and realistic. i appreciated that, unlike The Bride Test, not every plot point received a sparkly, happy conclusion. grief and healing are not linear, and it makes sense that Anna‘s experiences with them were not either.
i will admit, criticisms of Quan’s story are valid. though i liked that his chapters were brief, i would happily read an entire novel about his journey surviving cancer. i did not feel like his POV was needed at times, which led me to want his storyline to be fleshed out more, to be more on par with the tone and severity of Anna’s. i think each arc could have better paralleled the other and his story could have had a stronger impact. maybe Anna’s story was heavy enough and Helen Hoang felt the need to write something lighter to help the reader escape that darkness, but i think it still could have worked.
wrt the sex scenes: this book was much steamier and more satisfying (wink wonk) than The Bride Test. it also showed realistic sexual dysfunction and healthy communication of boundaries/needs. i liked the pining as much as i liked the sex scenes themselves, and i never turned the page and felt let down or disappointed by how the scenes ended. they all tended to make sense and feel complete.
overall this was a fantastic, quick read that i recommend to nd romance readers looking to see and authentic story in a new genre.
CW (not included below): autism meltdown, autism burnout, career burnout/career issues
REVIEW TRIGGER WARNINGS BEFORE READING THIS BOOK!
i devoured this book. i was up until 3am reading this and good LORD was it worth it.
i would definitely classify this as contemporary fiction and not a romance because the main focal point was Anna’s struggle to accept and honor herself, not the love story. though i liked the love story—which added fantastic levity to the serious topics presented here despite also being pretty rocky—i was completely sold by Anna’s arc: her diagnosis, accepting a caretaker role, the epiphany about her needs, her growth.
once again, Helen Hoang perfectly captures the neurodivergent experience. Anna’s relationship with her family, her friends, herself, and her art were so relatable and heart-wrenching. i can only describe my feelings/reactions towards the ongoing conflicts related to her autism as VISCERAL. chapter 41 literally caused me to sob into a pillow. i am not kidding. i had to try very hard to stifle my weeping.
the ending, though extremely fast-paced was satisfying and realistic. i appreciated that, unlike The Bride Test, not every plot point received a sparkly, happy conclusion. grief and healing are not linear, and it makes sense that Anna‘s experiences with them were not either.
i will admit, criticisms of Quan’s story are valid. though i liked that his chapters were brief, i would happily read an entire novel about his journey surviving cancer. i did not feel like his POV was needed at times, which led me to want his storyline to be fleshed out more, to be more on par with the tone and severity of Anna’s. i think each arc could have better paralleled the other and his story could have had a stronger impact. maybe Anna’s story was heavy enough and Helen Hoang felt the need to write something lighter to help the reader escape that darkness, but i think it still could have worked.
wrt the sex scenes: this book was much steamier and more satisfying (wink wonk) than The Bride Test. it also showed realistic sexual dysfunction and healthy communication of boundaries/needs. i liked the pining as much as i liked the sex scenes themselves, and i never turned the page and felt let down or disappointed by how the scenes ended. they all tended to make sense and feel complete.
overall this was a fantastic, quick read that i recommend to nd romance readers looking to see and authentic story in a new genre.
CW (not included below): autism meltdown, autism burnout, career burnout/career issues
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Ableism, Grief, Mental illness, Death of parent, and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Toxic relationship, and Cancer
Minor: Cursing, Car accident, Excrement, Xenophobia, and Vomit
emzieromo's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
memoirofawitch's review against another edition
4.0
3.95/5 ⭐
really good book. amazing autistic representation and i kinda relate to anna. quan best boy idc what yall say
really good book. amazing autistic representation and i kinda relate to anna. quan best boy idc what yall say
evangelinejacks's review against another edition
4.0
my heart broke for anna. actually speechless. this is easily the best one out of all three hh books.
wwiillddeerr's review against another edition
4.0
Biochem final in t-3.5 hrs. Good thing I read this instead. Also happy birthday Taylor swift
raynaslibrary's review against another edition
5.0
I was provided an e-ARC of The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang through NetGalley.
This book follows Anna, who is a violinist experiencing burnout following her solo performance that went viral on YouTube, when her serious boyfriend Julien suddenly suggests they have an open relationship before he commits to marrying her so they both have no regrets. Anna uses this opportunity to have a one-night stand with tattooed, motorcycle-riding Quan, who is also dealing with some personal issues after recovering from major surgery and is also looking for something casual. But after 3 failed attempts at a one-night stand, they realize their relationship goes beyond sex and begin a relationship. However, a tragedy in Anna’s family threatens to destroy their relationship.
This book felt so incredibly personal and genuinely human. It made me laugh and smile at times but also covered serious topics such as autism spectrum disorder, caregiver burnout, low self-esteem, and cancer. I loved seeing Anna and Quan’s personal growth, both individually and together in their relationship. I especially loved Anna as a character as I related to her in so many different ways with her tendencies to always please others, her difficulties communicating about her needs, and how she didn't feel accepted by her loved ones. Hoang’s author’s note at the end of the novel made the book feel even more personal.
I read this book in a day and truly loved it so much! It hooked me immediately from the first sentence and I did not want to put it down. I will definitely be buying a physical copy when it comes out on August 31st and I strongly recommend that any contemporary romance lovers do as well!
This book follows Anna, who is a violinist experiencing burnout following her solo performance that went viral on YouTube, when her serious boyfriend Julien suddenly suggests they have an open relationship before he commits to marrying her so they both have no regrets. Anna uses this opportunity to have a one-night stand with tattooed, motorcycle-riding Quan, who is also dealing with some personal issues after recovering from major surgery and is also looking for something casual. But after 3 failed attempts at a one-night stand, they realize their relationship goes beyond sex and begin a relationship. However, a tragedy in Anna’s family threatens to destroy their relationship.
This book felt so incredibly personal and genuinely human. It made me laugh and smile at times but also covered serious topics such as autism spectrum disorder, caregiver burnout, low self-esteem, and cancer. I loved seeing Anna and Quan’s personal growth, both individually and together in their relationship. I especially loved Anna as a character as I related to her in so many different ways with her tendencies to always please others, her difficulties communicating about her needs, and how she didn't feel accepted by her loved ones. Hoang’s author’s note at the end of the novel made the book feel even more personal.
I read this book in a day and truly loved it so much! It hooked me immediately from the first sentence and I did not want to put it down. I will definitely be buying a physical copy when it comes out on August 31st and I strongly recommend that any contemporary romance lovers do as well!