The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang
on August 2021Genres: Adult Fiction, Romance
Pages: 320
Format: eBook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
A woman struggling with burnout learns to embrace the unexpected—and the man she enlists to help her—in this heartfelt new romance by USA Today bestselling author 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 has just started to understand herself. 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.
A very realistic and romantic story about two broken people who find strength and love in each other.
Anna starts off being so timid and as the tension builds, it was heartbreaking to watch her lose her voice. Hearing her inner thoughts struggle made her character very real and vulnerable. I could not believe her family who misunderstood her. I think the family dynamic was so powerful, it really got to me more than her inability to play her instrument anymore. I loved how she gained her strength and how she found strength in herself and in Quan.
Quan ís a well crafted companion to Anna and a multi layered solid character in his own right. The chemistry was flawless and their romance built very slowly as these two very vulnerable characters came together. I like the way Quan saw Anna, which was very different than how her family saw her. And all of the characteristics that her family didn’t appreciate about Anna, Quan loved.
Hoang does such a good job of creating full characters that share realistic challenges and deep vulnerabilities. It’s one of the things I love most about her books – the character’s struggles are authentic.
This is a wonderful addition to this charming series. Start at the first book because fans have been waiting for Quan’s book for a while and I’m happy to report it does not disappoint.
Kimberly majored in Songwriting and currently works full time in the music industry. When she's not listening to music, knitting or writing, you can find her outside reading her favorite genres: Young Adult, Adult Fiction, Mystery, and Romance.
