The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang | Book Review
Credit: Penguin Random House
The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang
About the Book: 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.
Review
Anna Sun needs a reset. She is completely burned out from becoming viral on YouTube that she is unable to recreate any music to meet that moment. Her long-term boyfriend wants an open relationship, and her family obligations are taking a toll. When she meets Quan Diep, she thinks it is just for a one-night stand, but it turns into something more. This story has multiple layers and is more than your typical contemporary romance. Touching but predictable, I read the story more for Anna’s journey with her autism diagnosis and her parents’ than I did for the romance.