Julie's Review: The Heart Principle

Author: Helen Hoang
Series: The Kiss Quotient #3
Publication Date:  August 31, 2021
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 352
Obtained: Book of the Month Club
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: Saucy with a lot of heart and depth
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Summary: 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. ~amazon.com

Review: Anna is a musician that became famous on YouTube and she's suffering from trying to replicate that moment daily. All it does is send her into a funk that she can't get out of; she's literally going in circles. Add to that her boyfriend of 5 years has decided that he wants to see other people before he's ready to commit to her longer term. To say that Anna is shocked is an understatement. Anna doesn't sit around and mop though, under the encouragement of her friends, she signs up for dating apps. 

Across town Michael is trying to convince his cousin Quan to get back out there after a medical scare and a year of getting back to "normal". Quan is struggling with his own issues about what he looks like after a fight with cancer. Will any woman be ok with his changes? He eventually downloads the dating apps and happens upon Anna. For both of them this is supposed to be a one night stand that pushes them back into their routines. Except that's not exactly how it goes. 

Ms. Hoang has a way of writing that immediately pulls you in where you feel an attachment to her characters. While we have met Quan in another one of her novels, we see him struggle with his own issues. Anna is a bit of a mess until her therapist says something that rings a bit true for her and it's a diagnosis that will change her life. It helps her answer questions about herself that she's struggled with for years. 

While The Heart Principle is definitely saucy, it has a lot of heart and depth to it as well. It highlights family struggles and triumphs. It's about self-acceptance.  It's a fine conclusion to her trilogy, The Kiss Quotient. 

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