Review: The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang

THE HEART PRINCIPLE

(The Kiss Quotient, #3)

Helen Hoang

BLURB

A woman struggling with burnout learns to embrace the unexpected—and the man she enlists to help her—in this new New York Times bestselling romance by Helen Hoang.

When violinist Anna Sun accidentally achieves career success with a viral YouTube video, she finds herself incapacitated and burned out from her attempts to replicate that moment. And when her longtime boyfriend announces he wants an open relationship before making a final commitment, a hurt and angry Anna decides that if he wants an open relationship, then she does, too. Translation: She’s going to embark on a string of one-night stands. The more unacceptable the men, the better.

That’s where tattooed, motorcycle-riding Quan Diep comes in. Their first attempt at a one-night stand fails, as does their second, and their third, because being with Quan is more than sex—he accepts Anna on an unconditional level that she herself has just started to understand. However, when tragedy strikes Anna’s family she takes on a role that she is ill-suited for, until the burden of expectations threatens to destroy her. Anna and Quan have to fight for their chance at love, but to do that, they also have to fight for themselves.

★★★★

Ms. Hoang does it again with another great story. The Heart Principle is a heavier read. Anna & Quan are both dealing with some tough stuff.

Ms. Hoang’s put her heart on her sleeve when sharing this story. The first part of the book is about Anna’s current boyfriend who wants an open relationship before he settles down with her – just make sure he isn’t missing out on anything. At the same time, Quan is coming to terms with something that leaves him not feeling totally himself.

The two meet through a dating app and start out texting and watching nature documentaries together. They both agree to a no-strings-attached one-night-stand but don’t actually do the deed just yet. Neither one wants to admit to not wanting their relationship to be over so they hold off because once the deed is done then their relationship is over.

During the middle part of the book, Anna is experiencing caretaker burnout as she cares for her ill father. Along with being diagnosed with autism and having her sisters think she’s vying for attention. Quan is trying to make a go with his business and he’s running into roadblocks.

In the last part of the book, the reader sees Anna & Quan’s relationship grow as their intimate feelings towards each other become more intense. Anna’s boyfriend, from the first part of the book, returns and is ready to settle down now that he’s “sowed his seed”. His return throws a wrench in Anna’s life. She’s at the point where she has hit rock bottom in dealing with what life has thrown at her and isn’t ready to deal with his return.

Here’s where Quan & Anna declare their love for each other. The ex-boyfriend is that catalyst that helps them know this isn’t a casual thing but a forever thing.

Their love story was one that has a lot of heart.

The author’s note at the end of the book reveals that even though this is fiction it is also a half memoir. Up to this point in Ms. Hoang’s books, this is the book that contains the most about her. Ms. Hoang and Anna share struggles, pain, and shame. And that’s why I say – Ms. Hoang put her heart on her sleeve when she wrote this book.

I can’t get enough of this series!! Each book is so good!!

description

Audiobook source: Hoopla
Narrator: Brian Nishii & Natalie Naudus
Length: 9H 30M

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Author: Foxy

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