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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Julie's Review: The Kiss Quotient

Author: Helen Hoang
Series: The Kiss Quotient
Publication Date: February 20, 2018
Publisher: Random House
Pages: 352
Obtained: Library
Genre:  Romance
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: HOT!!!!!
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases—a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old. It doesn't help that Stella has Asperger's and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice—with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can't afford to turn down Stella's offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan—from foreplay to more-than-missionary position... 
Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but crave all of the other things he's making her feel. Their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic...
Review: What I am loving about all these "romance" novels lately is that they are real and have characters that you can identify with. No one needs rescuing in that old traditional way but instead needs a little help with self-realization. The sex isn't forced and is natural and well in the case of Helen Hoang's books, it's HOT!! 

It is also great because her lead characters have something unique about them but it's really what makes them that much more enjoyable. Take Stella, she's so into her work that she'll go into the office on a Saturday without thinking that maybe she should be doing something else. She's a bit awkward socially but is getting a ton of pressure from her mom to date and find a guy. So with her being socially awkward, it makes dating hard for her. That is until she decides to hire a male escort. Using her math skills, she finds the perfect one. Enter Michael Phan. He's sexy, polite and really does make her knees buckle a bit. Michael isn't perfect though, he's got his own issues he's grappling with and trying to figure out. 

I mean let's be honest with these books you know they will end up together but the journey to get there is a fun ride. That's not to say that these characters don't have issues and obstacles but even then you know they'll figure it out. 

I really can't wait for her next book in the series because I'm sure it'll be just as hot! 


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Mini Reviews

I started this book before we went on vacation but quickly finished it on the 2-hour flight to our destination. This has everything a summer read should be: fun, sentimental with a big heart. Both Kai and Esme are endearing characters who need each other more than they know. I giggled and tear-eyed up during this book. If you haven't read it, you should. I can't wait to read her first one, The Kiss Quotient. 

I've been a fan of Jane Green's since I was in my 20s and it was nice to have her characters in her new book to be in my age range. We see the friendship between the three of them through the eyes of each of them throughout the years. We see how each of their decisions has a ripple effect on their friendships and strains them in ways they weren't even conscious of. I did feel that she fell into some women's fiction pitfalls with this one but it was still worth the read.

Like Jane Green above, I've been reading Jennifer Weiner for years. She never fails to disappoint me in her fresh view on what some might say are constant women's fiction story-lines. She tells the story of Bethie and Jo through decades of change and frustration for women. While this might not be my favorite of her novels, it is definitely still well worth the read.