The Heart Principle

This book is soooo good. Worth re-reading multiple times for the love of Anna and Quan. Quan is now my fictional dream man. He really was the strong, reliable, always-there partner that Anna definitely needed. Anna is quirky and lovely and human to the bone. Her pursuit of perfection is a sad reality for a lot of women nowadays because everyone, even our loved ones, expect so much from us. The intimacy scenes were refreshing to read because it was nice for a change that Quan isn't a dirty talker in bed and was very much focused on getting Anna to let go and trust her in moments like that and beyond. I wish Quan proposed to Anna at the end of the book, and that Priscilla is back in her life, but I think all of that happened eventually. The book closes with an "...And the story continues" kind of vibe instead of a final "the end", which is nice because I want to believe Anna and Quan and her Mom and sister and friends are all still in this lovely journey called life. :)

Anna Sun spends her life doing everything that others want her to do. She just can't say no. All her life she has been a little different and she has just learned how to deal with it. When violinist Anna becomes famous because of a YouTube performance, her life starts to spiral out of control. When her boyfriend of 5 years tells her he wants a temporary open relationship she is heartbroken but then ends up deciding that two can play that game! Enter Quan Diep, the sexy, tattooed, motorcycling gorgeous guy comes in! Anna wants a one-night stand with Quan but because of things from both of their pasts, it doesn't happen. When one try turns into several tries, they decide to just slow down and take things slow. For the first time in Anna's life, Quan actually "gets" her. When tragedy strikes Anna's family, it is Quan that tries to help rein Anna back in. Just when it looks like Quan and Anna will get their perfect happy ending, the past comes back to haunt them. It will take a lot of soul searching by both Anna and Quan but they will finally get their happy ever after. The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang was a sweet and sexy story that was filled with a lot of emotions. I found myself laughing one minute and then crying the next. I just wanted to hug both Anna and Quan. Separately Anna and Quan were not living their lives but were just going through the motions. Once they got together, they just made sense and you couldn't help but root for them. Overall this was a really great story that had wonderful characters and was well written.

I totally enjoyed The Heart Principle, by Helen Hoang, book three in the Kiss Quotient series. This is my first book by Hoang who took this reader on an intense emotional roller coaster, telling a tale that tugs at the heart-strings and is filled with amazing characters. There are so many sensitive issues that are realistically addressed in this book; including grief, terminal disease, cancer, caretaking, stroke, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Each issue is discussed open heartedly while teaching and assisting in connecting with our own life problems and our loved ones who might have suffered or are still suffering from similar issues. There's a lot going on in this book; a lot more than a romance, though that is handled well too. Anna and Quan are lovely, kind, with vulnerabilities and suffering so real, yet the chemistry between them sizzles off the page. Anna and Quan are characters that are easy to connect with along with the problems and struggles they are dealing with. Ms. Hoang wrote an emotional, heart-wrenching, powerful, and realistic romantic story. This book is about our traumas, our family issues, being brave, liberating ourselves, taking risks, getting out of our comfort zones, destroying barriers we built, our weaknesses make us who we are, and the power of true love. I highly recommend The Heart Principle to other readers. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.