Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang

72 reviews

nervousboulderer's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0


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scarlettrogue's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring sad slow-paced

3.5


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dua_liepard's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

3.5


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gabbatron_'s review against another edition

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I DNF’d this at 72%, I just really think it should’ve have come with some trigger warnings. I thought this was gonna be a fun cute romance and it was in fact the opposite

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mackie9999's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0


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zids's review against another edition

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sad 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

2.0

Never have I needed an author's note so much in my life. I was sitting reading this book thinking "Helen Hoang EXPLAIN YOURSELF!"
I was a big fan of the Bride Test, and I thought the Kiss Quotient was fine. But Jesus Christmas, this book.
I can't even say I didn't enjoy it. I was just kind of baffled by it. It was very different than the other books in this series. It was miserable. It seemed so focused on it's own misery that the relationship between Quan and Anna kind of took a back seat.
I knew at a certain point that something like this MUST'VE happened to the author, it was extremely personal, and I don't think I was prepared to read a book about carer burnout when I was expecting something very lighthearted. It certainly didn't mention any of this on the blurb.
The end of the book didn't particularly satisfy me, either. Anna starts to struggle with suicidal ideation like fifteen pages before the book ends. This part of her story seemed like a footnote when, TO ME, it maybe should've been focused on more? Or completely omitted, really. Not much would've changed without it. Quan stopped feeling real after a while, his problems certainly weren't as big as Anna's, so he naturally took a backseat. Reading about him floating around as she tries to exit a depression really didn't do anything for me.
Also, I don't hate this as a plot point, but the fact that his cancer left him infertile AND with a bad case of body dysmorphia. This book pulled no punches. Misery all the way down.
I almost feel like Hoang's pain was a little too big for this book. The type of book she was writing and the volume of her suffering don't... match. I don't think it can't be done, but I also don't think she did it. I truly hope writing this was cathartic for her.
Again, it wasn't so much that I hated the book, it was just baffling to me how much misery could be packed into such a small book with such a bright, flirty cover.
I guess I have to accept that Bride Test was a one off for me, which makes me sad, because it made me so excited about Hoang as an author. Woof.

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kenzithereader's review against another edition

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emotional 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

3.0

The book wasn't bad, but it was my least favorite of the series. I loved the first two and their lighthearted good time romance with a sprinkle of issues. This third book felt more like it was about the characters struggle with family and autism and was really bleak for a lot of the book. The romance started to feel like the side plot and the story was much heavier than I'd anticipated. 

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helfire124's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective 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

5.0


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matcha_pages's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

If you're looking for a light hearted romance don't read this book. It deals with some heavy topics, which is fine...but not something I want in romance books.
 It starts off fun and exciting but quickly becomes Anna's journey with her autism diagnosis, family acceptance, and learning how to standup for herself. It gets really heavy and dark at points, especially with how Anna's family views her neurodivergence as weak and lazy character flaws. There's also a fair amount of family gaslighting going on. These experiences were incredibly raw and left me angry, emotionally drained, and appreciative of Hoang's vulnerability. 

Given the above it felt wrong trying to enjoy the hot smutty scenes. And it didn't gave space for Quan to make mistakes, he felt stifled being perfectly patient and even keeled for Anna. I was really hoping we'd get other sides of him or learn what it was like being Khai's older brother. 

I feel like Anna's story was strong enough to stand on its own.

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takarakei's review against another edition

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emotional 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

5.0

(Reread on audio) MY GOD THIS BOOK!!!! Helen Hoang I am in your walls. 
This is not a lighthearted romance (jail to anyone using that tag here???). Anna deals with a LOT of really hard things throughout the book. But everything that happens, while difficult to read, is handled with such raw realness. Quan is everything and I will protect him bodily forever.

4/5🌶️

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