Reviews with content warning for Grief - The Heart Principle

Wow. I can only say wow.
This book turned out to be so much more than I expected. Being a part of the Kissing Quotient series I expected this to be also about an autistic protagonist trying to find love and struggling but this was just so much more complex and also darker as I expected.

First of all I absolutely adored Annas and Quans love story. The way Quan was so patient and kind and loving with Anna right away melted my heart. The way their struggles matched another and made them both able to help each other moved me.

This was not just a story of lust, crushes and passion. It was that too but mainly it was a story of trust, commitment and deep love. And also a story of tragedy, loss and grief.

I loved to see Annas Story arch. It was so complex and multi layered. I liked the fact that she didnt just miraculously healed and felt better just cause everything between her and Quan was resolved.
I loved how the author was able to portray mental health struggles in such a respectful but still impactful and real manner. So many times I just wanted to hug Anna and tell her that everything is gonna be okay.

Im impressed how the author always manages to create sucht complex and loving relationships in her books with autistic protagonists while still not making their autism the center of their character.

And the sex scenes? I love how they are always the right mixture of sexual tension, spice but also based on consent and love.

Content Warnings

binevolentbookworm's review against another edition

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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? It's complicated

5.0

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wanderlust_romance's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

A strong finish to this series! The Heart Principle just barely edged out The Bride Test for that #1 spot when I look back at all three and consider which I enjoyed best. And you know who get's to wear the crown of Consent King? QUAN! Consent between the main characters in this book is consistent throughout the narrative. In comparison to the first two books in the series, The Heart Principle also had the best pacing after the dark/challenging moment between the MC's.

Much of the story here centered on acceptance (both internal and external) and communication. Ana is doing just about everything she can in pursuit of acceptance and validation from her family, her boyfriend, her therapist, etc all to the detriment of herself. This also plays into the way she masks her behaviors as a response to her Autism Spectrum diagnosis. She wants to please everyone and constantly holds herself back and remains silent when it comes to disagreements, which leads to the theme of communication. She's left wondering, "Why is it so hard to say what I really think? Or to just say no?" When it comes to communicating her physical needs to Quan, saying the words is even more challenging. Because if you've never explored what you desire physically, how can you even begin to communicate that to an intimate partner. Quan, like the consent king he is, exudes patience and builds trust with Ana so she is comfortable exploring that side of her sexuality. For his part, Quan also has a character arc centered around acceptance. After an illness changed his physicality, a physical part of himself that is typically associated with "manhood," he is coming to terms with what that means for him in intimate situations and the way it has impacted his future. Layered on top of this is the challenge he faces professionally when it comes to his apparel company's acquisition deal.

Other interesting themes/ideas addressed:

Sibling relationships in Chinese culture
Anxiety, grief, and suicidal thoughts
End of life caretaking
Assumptions made based on physical appearance
Internalized ableism

Overall, really happy that I finally read this series. All the books can standalone but are best read in order.

Content Warnings

leximoonbeam's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring 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

This book absolutely gutted me. I don't have autism but I felt Anna's exhaustion from masking and burnout in my chest, because that is how elegant a writer Helen is. The truth of this book is that there is a line where you have to recognize your own brain and body's limits, or else your brain and body will tell you.

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iconicavocado's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful informative 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? Yes

4.0

(read via audiobook)

Book 📖: 4/5 stars

Audiobook 🎙️: ⭐⭐⭐

Three takeaways:

• A nice representation of female autism for this being a romance book

• You don't need to read the 2nd book (The Bride Test) in order to enjoy the story
• If you're looking for a feel-good story, think again.

Boy, was this book unexpected. This book went beyond a simple, sweet romance book. While I actually connected a lot with Anna in the later half of the book and what she goes through I was really taken back by the dramatic turn the story took. I have a love-hate feeling towards this change up and ultimately dock a star because the switch up is so strong that I think other readers would be really jarred when they read it. It's a nice book, but I do caution you to read trigger warnings before you start this book.

To read more spoiler notes of mine see below:

I wish there was more of Quan and Anna's relationship within the book. The book takes a major turn midway that overtakes the whole story from romance to self discovery through massive hardship. The love story definitely takes a backseat the rest of the book. Which I didn't mind because the themes that come out of it connected to me personally. I just don't think this serious emotional twist is "for everyone" especially in this kind of genre.

This is not a book you read to cheer yourself up, that is for sure!

I also didn't think it was totally necessary for Quan to have had cancer. I personally felt that was a bit unnecessary to have that much sadness between both main characters considering where the last half of the story goes.

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