The Heart Principle
(Libby/OverDrive eBook, Kindle)
Available Platforms
Description
Excerpt
Similar Series From Novelist
Similar Titles From NoveList
Similar Authors From NoveList
Published Reviews
Booklist Review
When a video of violinist Anna Sun goes viral, it catapults her career to new heights--and ratchets up her anxiety. A recent diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder explains a lot, but having the joy stripped away from playing music is taking a toll. If that wasn't enough, her boyfriend decides he might want marriage, but he wants to try an open relationship first. Anna figures that if her boyfriend is dating, she should be as well, so she signs up for dating apps in search of a one-night stand. It doesn't take long for Anna to match with Quan Diep, a tattooed, motorcycle-riding bad boy who is the polar opposite of her milquetoast boyfriend. But their first date isn't what Anna was expecting. Neither is their second, or their third, and soon enough Anna realizes that Quan is far more than a one-night stand. He's relationship material. Hoang's latest delivers everything her fans have come to expect: thoughtful explorations of neurodiversity, steamy love scenes, and relatable characters. The first-person narration adds a feeling of intimacy and immediacy to the story. Readers will be delighted that Quan has met his match; this is also a good pick for fans of Talia Hibbert.
Publisher's Weekly Review
A classical musician struggling with professional burnout, family judgment, and a faithless long-term boyfriend gets her groove back in the beautifully melancholy and meditative latest from Hoang (The Bride Test). Violinist Anna Sun is already in a major professional rut when, instead of the marriage proposal she expects, her parent-approved long-term boyfriend proposes that they experiment with an open relationship. Given what he perceives as Anna's lack of interest in sex, he doesn't expect that the experiment will go both ways. But then Anna meets sexy, tattooed, motorcycle-riding Quan Diep. Quan quickly proves that he only looks like a bad boy; he's patient, kind, and supportive as both a friend and sexual partner and, sweetly, brings food for Anna's unwelcoming family when her dad lands in the hospital. Hoang strikes a more somber tone in this outing, giving Anna daunting challenges to overcome, including some serious hang-ups around sex. Readers shouldn't expect a typical rom-com, but many will still swoon for this sensitive love story. Agent: Kim Lionetti, Bookends Literary. (Aug.)
Library Journal Review
Ever since concert violinist Anna Sun went viral on social media and became an overnight star, she's been musically stuck and is unable to play past a particularly difficult section in a piece of music written specially for her. Anna's relationship is also stuck, until her boyfriend tells her he wants an open relationship. Anna is shocked but decides to try out a hookup app, looking for one-night stands only, no feelings. When Quan Diep, the recently cancer-free and newly minted CEO of an up-and-coming fashion company, responds to Anna's profile, they fail to keep to their agreed-upon one night. Instead, their steady stream of text messages, late-night documentary screenings, and motorcycle rides slowly build a real partnership. When Anna's father suffers a sudden, devastating stroke, she's compelled to take on his care; this, combined with her professional stasis and recent autism diagnosis, makes Anna unsure whether she has the bandwidth to find happiness in a monogamous relationship with Quan. VERDICT Readers of Hoang's other "Kiss Quotient" books may be surprised by this third installment's heavy plot points, which weigh down the narrative. Hoang writes a sparkling romance between Quan and Anna, but this novel is very much about Anna's finding her voice and setting boundaries.--Elizabeth Gabriel, Milwaukee P.L.
Kirkus Book Review
A violinist struggling from burnout must face even bigger challenges. After experiencing viral fame and an exhausting tour, Anna Sun can only hear flaws and mistakes when she plays music. She spends hours every day restarting the same piece of music, trying to make it perfect. When her therapist suggests Anna might be on the autism spectrum, she is relieved to finally understand herself better; unfortunately, her sister's painful rejection of the idea leaves her feeling even more estranged from her family. After her boyfriend informs her he wants to be in an open relationship, Anna creates a profile and connects with Quan Diep on a dating app. The successful CEO of a small clothing company, Quan wants to enter the dating pool after a bout with cancer. Although they both want a no-strings affair, Anna discovers how easy it is to be her real self with Quan. The first half of the novel shows their relationship morphing into one of mutual caring and respect. When Anna's father suffers a debilitating stroke without a medical directive, Anna and her mother and sister decide to care for him at home. Hoang unflinchingly describes the physically exhausting work of caretaking, which is coupled with Anna's emotionally wrenching conviction that her father does not want to live this way. The primary themes in the second half are about filial piety and how Anna's endless self-sacrifice without corresponding acceptance from her family pushes her to create limits and boundaries. Quan is a solid, steady presence but mostly relegated to the back burner. In the afterword, Hoang calls the book "half memoir," which helps explain why it feels like half a romance. Genre readers will have to judge for themselves if the romance plot satisfies, but those desperate for fiction that explores the crushing weight of caregiving will find it here. Grief and suffering make for an emotionally moving novel, but without fully exploring healing and recovery, is it a romance? Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Reviews
*Starred Review* When a video of violinist Anna Sun goes viral, it catapults her career to new heights—and ratchets up her anxiety. A recent diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder explains a lot, but having the joy stripped away from playing music is taking a toll. If that wasn't enough, her boyfriend decides he might want marriage, but he wants to try an open relationship first. Anna figures that if her boyfriend is dating, she should be as well, so she signs up for dating apps in search of a one-night stand. It doesn't take long for Anna to match with Quan Diep, a tattooed, motorcycle-riding bad boy who is the polar opposite of her milquetoast boyfriend. But their first date isn't what Anna was expecting. Neither is their second, or their third, and soon enough Anna realizes that Quan is far more than a one-night stand. He's relationship material. Hoang's latest delivers everything her fans have come to expect: thoughtful explorations of neurodiversity, steamy love scenes, and relatable characters. The first-person narration adds a feeling of intimacy and immediacy to the story. Readers will be delighted that Quan has met his match; this is also a good pick for fans of Talia Hibbert. Copyright 2021 Booklist Reviews.
Library Journal Reviews
Ever since concert violinist Anna Sun went viral on social media and became an overnight star, she's been musically stuck and is unable to play past a particularly difficult section in a piece of music written specially for her. Anna's relationship is also stuck, until her boyfriend tells her he wants an open relationship. Anna is shocked but decides to try out a hookup app, looking for one-night stands only, no feelings. When Quan Diep, the recently cancer-free and newly minted CEO of an up-and-coming fashion company, responds to Anna's profile, they fail to keep to their agreed-upon one night. Instead, their steady stream of text messages, late-night documentary screenings, and motorcycle rides slowly build a real partnership. When Anna's father suffers a sudden, devastating stroke, she's compelled to take on his care; this, combined with her professional stasis and recent autism diagnosis, makes Anna unsure whether she has the bandwidth to find happiness in a monogamous relationship with Quan. VERDICT Readers of Hoang's other "Kiss Quotient" books may be surprised by this third installment's heavy plot points, which weigh down the narrative. Hoang writes a sparkling romance between Quan and Anna, but this novel is very much about Anna's finding her voice and setting boundaries.—Elizabeth Gabriel, Milwaukee P.L.
Copyright 2021 Library Journal.PW Annex Reviews
A classical musician struggling with professional burnout, family judgment, and a faithless long-term boyfriend gets her groove back in the beautifully melancholy and meditative latest from Hoang (The Bride Test). Violinist Anna Sun is already in a major professional rut when, instead of the marriage proposal she expects, her parent-approved long-term boyfriend proposes that they experiment with an open relationship. Given what he perceives as Anna's lack of interest in sex, he doesn't expect that the experiment will go both ways. But then Anna meets sexy, tattooed, motorcycle-riding Quan Diep. Quan quickly proves that he only looks like a bad boy; he's patient, kind, and supportive as both a friend and sexual partner and, sweetly, brings food for Anna's unwelcoming family when her dad lands in the hospital. Hoang strikes a more somber tone in this outing, giving Anna daunting challenges to overcome, including some serious hang-ups around sex. Readers shouldn't expect a typical rom-com, but many will still swoon for this sensitive love story. Agent: Kim Lionetti, Bookends Literary. (Aug.)
Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly Annex.Reviews from GoodReads
Citations
Hoang, H. (2021). The Heart Principle . Penguin Publishing Group.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Hoang, Helen. 2021. The Heart Principle. Penguin Publishing Group.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Hoang, Helen. The Heart Principle Penguin Publishing Group, 2021.
Harvard Citation (style guide)Hoang, H. (2021). The heart principle. Penguin Publishing Group.
MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)Hoang, Helen. The Heart Principle Penguin Publishing Group, 2021.
Copy Details
Collection | Owned | Available | Number of Holds |
---|---|---|---|
Libby | 2 | 0 | 5 |