The Heart Principle | 
pickHelen Hoang‘s The Kiss Quotient series was the first romance series I picked up after a good 10 years and I love it with every single fibre of my body.
Quan and Anna both are thoroughly imperfect in their own way, but so utterly perfect for each other. I loved their dynamics and how they help each other to grow and step out from their old shadows.
Five solid stars.
pick
pickIf you liked the Kiss Quotient you will also like this novel! It took a bit longer to warm up to these characters but by halfway through I was completely invested and rooting for the two characters. I enjoyed that it covered the insecurities of intimacy and sex not just from the women‘s perspective but a man‘s as well, and how they worked to tackle those insecurities with one another and for one another. Truly beautiful!
1. Greatest Achievement - This year was pretty low key for me so I‘ll say it‘s how much reading I got in. Greatest Challenge - Dealing with Type 2 Diabetes and working to get it under control.
2. The Heart Principle
3. To continue to work on my health.
#WonderousWednesday @Eggs
pickSorry everyone, photos won‘t load anymore. Even tho I gave the app full access UGH 🍀New Book Review!🍀
(Link in Bio)
Hoang has a way of crafting a novel that makes your emotions desperate for the characters. You feel everything with them & you root for them
THP especially is a focus on the harshness of life. It addresses burnout, the importance of self care, & the intensity of caring for a family member
#GreatReads #BestReadsof2021
I will say in terms of the romantic plot line, this is probably my least favorite of the trilogy. But in terms of characters and their inner struggles, I always love what Helen Hoang produces. I saw in her author‘s note that this is the most true to her book so far, and I loved the detail of adding a first person narrator to reflect that. I‘m happy to get a close on Michael, Quran, and Khai‘s family!
pickOmg This book!
It was amazing. Helen Hoang truly knows how to write lovely characters ❤️
Link to my full review:
https://bookreviewbyjohanna.wordpress.com/2021/11/20/del-3-the-heart-principle/
Decided to postpone Behind Closed Doors because I'm still in romance mode. So I ran over to the library and got a huge stack to borrow, and bought American Dirt. Started this as soon as I got home.
pickThis book was not what I expected. Not your typical romance with a typical happy ending. While I loved Anna and Quan's love story (Quan is my new book boyfriend💕), this one goes a bit deeper and is more about Anna accepting that she is on the autism spectrum and navigating her way through a family tragedy. The author also says this is her story too, both her and Anna went through a creative block that almost breaks them. I enjoyed this, ⭐⭐⭐⭐
pickTwo gorgeous covers.Two romances,but so much more.Lila and Anna‘s identities are informed by their culture:Lila,a Cuban American;Anna,a Chinese American. Each follows a journey of growing into their true selves.Anna creates with her music;Layla creates with her Cuban baking.Both share this creativity with the World.Both find support with friends & significant others.Hoang explains that much of Anna‘s Autistic emotional landscape mirrors her own.🔽
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️ I so appreciate Hoang normalizing neurodivergence in her romances, because these folks *are* normal and deserve to hold space in mainstream entertainment. This is Anna‘s and Quan‘s love story, but just as much, it‘s about Anna‘s life and familial relationships; her realizations and struggles. It‘s a solid 3rd book in the Kiss Quotient series (though each can easily stand alone), but my least favorite.
pickThanks to careful (obsessive?) library hold management, I scored the audio shortly after it was released… and then of course waited until I had two days left on my loan before I started it, because of my HORRIBLE library hold management.😂
Helen Hoang can do no wrong. Another great Kiss Quotient installment, with characters I loved and rooted for, lots of 🔥, and such realistic, heartbreaking situations for both protagonists. Loved!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
I usually aim to finish 5 books in a year, which may not seem like a lot to some of you. This past year has been so hard though so I made a goal to finish at least one book. If I could finish just one book, then that would make me happy. I managed to finish two books this month, however! The small accomplishments matter, too.
pickI love Hoang's books so much and I hope she writes more! I started this book last week during some down time at work but I haven't had a day to myself where I can just sit and read. Today was that day! I devoured this book in about 11 hours and I don't regret a single minute. The only time I set it down was when I needed a restroom break or for meal times. Every time I picked it back up, I couldn't help but to just read and read and read.
so-soI wanted to like this more as I loved the authors first two books. I knew it was going to be a tough read, as I have heard ahead of time. Some very difficult sections dealing with mental health and death. This is not a light rom com. The romance is lovely but the family interaction was just too much for me. 3⭐️ Another square for #bookspinbingo +5 for #teamhendrix #Scarathlon2021
#literati #audacious #roxanegay
Just loving this - Feeds my need for relaxation on a Friday night after a week of work.
I preordered this from The Ripped Bodice and I‘m ready to fall back in love with her characters. 💕💕💕
so-soUnfortunately I didn‘t love this one as much as I have enjoyed other Helen Hoang books. I feel like I need to give it another try when I‘m less distracted 🤷🏼♀️
Checking this off my #bookspinbingo board
pickThis book is phenomenal! Beautiful, heartfelt, and deeply personal. I really appreciate how deftly Hoang tackles brutal reality and raw emotion - learning to be true to yourself, overcoming the burden of expectations, the complexities of caregiving. And somehow that's perfectly balanced with sizzling chemistry and authentic vulnerability. Anna and Quan felt so real. Helen Hoang is a treasure and the world needs more romance like this. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A good story with interesting characters. The author has covered some sensitive subjects in this modern day love story.
https://hubpages.com/literature/The-Heart-Principle
#romance
#sensitive
pickI loved this book so much. I wanted to fight for Anna… literally. I wanted to punch her sister many times. Though in the end I felt bad for her. So many emotions. Such a good book.
#BookspinBingo
pickI was looking for something light & fluffy/ that‘s NOT what I found!! This book, a standalone but part of the Kiss Quotient series finds Quon (🥰) dealing with a health setback and Anna, a musical prodigy who‘s lost her rhythm 🎶 I wasn‘t crazy about this book at first but the last 1/4 really moved this to a strong pick. It touches on familiar themes as Hoang‘s earlier books but there are new ideas here too. Male narrator was just meh, though 😖
In the mood for something light & fluffy-ish 🎧♥️
pickDarker than expected, but I loved the character growth in this one. The situation with her dad was heartbreaking and seeing how her sister treated her was hard. But she figured things out and found the love and support she needed, at her own pace. Hoang really put a lot into this one and it shows.
so-soHere we have the love relationship between an autistic violinist and the guy who falls for her. It‘s an interesting story but I didn‘t love it. Not that much happens.
It may have been the first day back at work after a four day weekend but I came home to #bookmail. I loved this book so much I immediately ordered a signed copy from The Ripped Bodice. I am loving the stickers and postcard they included in the package. I was so good for most of this year but have ordered a ridiculous amount of books this month. Guess I need to take more vacation days and read.
so-so3/5⭐
I really didn't like how Anna's father's suffering was used as a plot point for her character development or that the book uses sex to solve problems.
On the other hand, the depiction of autism/neurodivergency, anxiety, & depression blew me away in how real & honest it felt. It was so well done that I cried because I really felt like I was in Anna's shoes. I also liked how cute & nerdy Anna & Quan were together. Octopus documentary indeed.
pick3.75 stars
This book was A LOT darker and more depressing than I thought it would be. Not really the rom-com I was expecting but still good.
pickWhat puts The Heart Principle a head above Hoang‘s earlier novels is the dark turn the story takes at the end of Part One; it makes for an all-too-real jarring contrast between sex and sadness. Luckily, the story speeds towards an ending that is hopeful and happy, with a vital message about caring for the caregivers. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/new-releases/
pickBest book in the series - super emotional and had me invested in both Anna and Quan from the beginning.
so-soThis book didn't feel like entertainment read... I don‘t think I liked it.
pickI was so emotional reading this book. This was a very deeply thoughtful romance with depictions of trauma and also being on the spectrum that felt incredibly genuine. I loved it but it was a little heartbreaking.
#WondrousWednesday thanks for the tag @Eggs .
Tagged the latest addition to my tbr up top.
My favourite fruit is strawberries especially home grown.
Looking forward to the Locked Room by Elly Griffiths. The next Ruth Galloway novel.
Today I am grateful for Addenbrookes hospital, they saved me after my surgery went wrong and the staff were utterly incredible. I was terrified but they kept me so calm and really looked after me.
I tag everyone.
pickWow! What an amazing and beautiful end to this series. These characters have a lot of pain and heartbreak to get through and she writes them so authentically and carefully. This story will remain with me for a long time. CW for grief, health issues and suicidal ideation. #BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks
pickOh man, the wait for this third book from Helen Hoang was worth every minute! I loved this story! Full of depth, truth, and the beauty of loving yourself for exactly who you are, The Heart Principle shines! I loved every minute of Quan & Anna‘s story and the beauty of how they not only fell in love with each other, but also with themselves. I‘m so grateful to have had a chance to read this beautiful story!
pickMight just be my favorite book of the year. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ #AnyWayYouReadathon @eggbeater @midnightbookgirl
pickI need to stop telling myself I'm going to read "just a chapter" before bed... it's never just a chapter. This was fantastic though, so I have no regrets!
pickI love Helen Hoang‘s books, and this is my favorite.
Anna life is falling apart around her, but her recent Autistic diagnosis becomes the beginning of rebuilding an authentic life. There with her is Quan, who isn‘t the one-night-stand he was supposed to be, but a partner who loves her as she is.
This story was lovely and hard and beautiful. Hoang, who is also Autistic, writes honestly, challenging stigmas and giving us all a heroine we need.
pickWow, this book was fantastic. But it also goes to some pretty emotional, serious places regarding mental health and caretaking for a loved one, so don't be deceived by the cover. It's much darker in many ways than her first two, and apparently covers some autobiographical elements.
5💖
#romantsy
