The Heart Principle

This is my favourite book out of the trilogy!! All the characters have been well written throughout the books but this has been my favourite journey seeing how they navigate these overwhelming situations while also being there for each other. I loved both Quan and Anna and loved reading this book!

This book is Helen Hoang's best yet. I say this having absolutely loved the previous two books in this series; The Heart Principle is beautiful, emotional and wise in ways that I so wish more books were.Hoang's writing about ASD, mental health, acute physical illness, and caregiving is absolutely fantastic, and I felt so much of this story in the very depths of my heart. As usual with her writing, I came away better understanding myself and with more knowledge of other people and the world around me. There was so much to love and value in this book. It's an excellent story of developing self knowledge, surviving complex family relationships and events, and finding your feet after what feels like the very worst possible fall. I absolutely love that Hoang writes about developmental disorders, mental health, and other disabilities in a way that acknowledges the multitude of problems in our ableist world, whilst underpinning this with a compassionate and open understanding that we all have a duty to ourselves to work on our issues.On top of all this, it's a cracking romance; the way that sexual intimacy was written about in this book was so, so emotionally astute (which only added to the steaminess!).My only critiques are logistical, technical points (with minor spoilers in the rest of this paragraph). Sometimes the pacing felt a little off, especially in the final part of the book, where some very major events and emotions were passed through quite quickly; this absolutely did not detract from how real they felt, but had an impact on the overall balance of the plot structure. The balance between Anna and Quan's seperate arcs felt a little lost as their relationship became more formalised and steady. I also would have liked to see a little more of the recurring characters from earlier in the series; it felt a little jarring to have such a family-centred character as Quan only shown with his brother once and not with his mother or sister, a single phone call with his cousin's wife, and his sister in law isn't even mentioned. The internet friends who Anna relies on so much in the first half of the book are also quite absent in the second half; there is a very good reason for this inconsistency, but these two characters did feel a little under-utilised.In all, this is a fantastic novel which I really highly recommend. I can't wait to see what this incredibly talented author produces next.

Much like Hoang’s previous protagonists, Anna and Quan join the ranks of characters that are so fundamentally good, it was impossible to feel anything other than adoration, empathy and a fierce sense of protectiveness for them.They are each in a time of crisis when they come into each other lives. Anna, an incredible violinist has hit a brick wall not only with her questioning her talent but also her relationship with her less than stimulating boyfriend. The end of said relationship prompts a discovery that she nor I were prepared for where it would take us.Quan is character that would be familiar to lovers of the series. He is faithful cousin and business partner to previous leading man Michael, but it’s here we truly experience the boundless selflessness Quan possesses. He has experienced health issues that left him feeling rudderless, but it’s his connection with Anna that helps to steer him in a direction he didn’t think he was capable of.The Heart Principle is a multi layered story that is extremely melancholy at times, but at the heart of it is the message of what love, whether it be familial or romantic, has the power of achieving.It’s a funny old thing to have finished one of the most stellar books I’ve read this year, but yet find myself at a loss of how to put into words just how much it meant to me. Emotionally The Heart Principle packs a punch, and combined with it’s moments of levity and it’s heart warming love story, it’s nothing short of a knock out read.

This was so touching and I had tears in my eyes one too many times. I loved that the journey Anna had wasn’t simplify. We had all the depression journey and could feel the struggle it took to get out of it. I really liked that Anna and Quan helped each other and supported the other with no jugement. That is real relationship goals right there!

Eu não estava preparada pra esse livro, definitivamente não estava. Ele tem um tom tão diferente dos volumes anteriores que é até difícil situá-lo dentro de uma trilogia. Mas tudo isso porque ele é absolutamente fantástico e pra mim só mostra o quanto a Helen é uma grande autora, como ela usa uma experiência própria e amplia isso de uma forma que a gente se sinta personagem ali também. Eu devorei esse livro e mesmo passados alguns dias, ainda estou refletindo sobre algumas partes. É difícil explicar porque é tão bom sem dar spoilers, mas eu diria que o ponto alto pra mim foi a maneira real como o percurso da protagonista foi apresentado: sem fórmula mágica, com altos e baixos, sem amor que cure tudo, com muita dificuldade. A dor de você perceber que mesmo pessoas que te amam nem sempre estão dispostas a te entender e te respeitar. Enfim, mal espero pra esse livro ser lançado no Brasil e eu poder panfletar livremente o quanto essa história é incrível.

🍬 Es el tercer libro de la serie y la verdad es de los tres el que me ha llegado al alma. Los otros dos son comedias románticas súper entretenidas y se las recomiendo a todos.Pero este libro es profundo y toca temas difíciles.🍬 Primero quisiera reconocer la valentía de la autora, contar su historia a través de la ficción es una cosa pero compartir con el mundo su dolor es otra.🍬 Está narrada en primera persona y es muy personal, conectas con los sentimientos de la protagonista de forma muy intensa y real.🍬 La historia toca un tema poco comentado pero muy importante al que se le debería dar mas valor. El burnout del cuidador, el acompañamiento de la muerte y el derecho a la muerte digna. Todos en algún momento podemos vernos en ese rol pero solo los que lo han vivido saben lo que implica. La autora refleja muy bien en la historia como le cambia la vida a una familia un situación como esta.

One of the best books I’ve ever read. I loved it so much it was perfectly written in every aspect. I love the all serie I can’t decide which one I love the most❤️

It was unlike what I was expecting Quan's book to be! And it ended up being my most favourite and beloved story in the series. It was beautiful, fun and it made me cry a lot!