I’m having a hard time writing a review, so sorry in advance for
this messiness.
While we get Quan’s POV, I think The Heart Principle
focused more on Anna’s journey to self-acceptance. Just realizing that it was
okay to be different was a tough road. It was difficult at times to read Anna’s
interactions with Julian (her asshole BF) and her family. Anna’s sister, Priscilla was especially
horrible. It was heartbreaking and frustrating to see Anna take so much crap! I
welcomed Anna’s meltdown because I knew that would be the only way she’d stop
pretending to be the perfect daughter, sister, girlfriend.
I also I think a lot of can relate to Anna’s feelings of
guilt over her thoughts on taking care of her father. It wouldn’t be easy, and
I can imagine feeling the same way if I were in her situation.
The Heart Principle wasn’t a light and fluffy romance,
although I did really love Anna and Quan together. Finding each other didn’t automatically
fix the issues each were dealing with. Both struggled with feelings of inadequacy.
I appreciated that Quan and Anna supported and accepted each other just as they
were. Quan was an absolute sweetheart, and I adored Anna.
I alternated reading an e-copy and listening to the audio. I’ve
listened to and enjoyed Natalie Naudas’ narration in the past and she did a wonderful
job performing Anna’s chapters. Brian Nishii was excellent as well. I listened at
my normal speed of 1.5x.
4 Stars
Book Description:
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 has just started to understand herself. However, when
tragedy strikes Anna's family, she takes on a role 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.
From the critically acclaimed author of The Kiss Quotient comes a romantic novel about love that crosses international borders and all boundaries of the heart...
Khai
Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his
things or contentment when ledgers balance down to the penny, but not
big, important emotions — like grief. And love. He thinks he's
defective. His family knows better— that his autism means he just
processes emotions differently. When he steadfastly avoids
relationships, his mother takes matters into her own hands and returns
to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride.
As a mixed-race girl
living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, Esme Tran has always felt out
of place. When the opportunity arises to come to America and meet a
potential husband, she can't turn it down, thinking this could be the
break her family needs. Seducing Khai, however, doesn't go as planned.
Esme's lessons in love seem to be working... but only on herself. She's
hopelessly smitten with a man who's convinced he can never return her
affection.
With Esme's time in the United States dwindling, Khai
is forced to understand he's been wrong all along. And there's more
than one way to love.
My Thoughts:
I LOVED The Kiss Quotient,
couldn’t put it down, and so I’ve been looking forward to The Bride Test, albeit with a little reservation. I didn’t want to
get my hopes up too high just in case I didn’t like it as much. Looks like I
didn’t need to worry, Helen Hoang beautiful, soul reaching writing comes
through again in Khai and Esme’s story.
I enjoyed their slow journey getting to know each other,
figuring each other out, and sorting out their feelings. Khai’s normal balance
is upset with the addition of Esme and it was funny watching his frustrated
confusion when she did things he didn’t understand. Irritated that this doesn’t
stem his growing attraction to her. He’s
also sure that starting something with Esme wouldn’t be good long-term for
anyone since he doesn’t feel capable of having an emotion like love. Sure, he could become addicted to her to the
point Esme’s absence would ruin any future peace. But would getting involved with no prospect
for love be fair to her? It was apparent to me that Khai loved by his actions
both with Esme and his family, but the problem was this wasn’t how Khai
interpreted his own emotions.
Esme wanted everything to work out with Khai, at first
because of the opportunity for a better life for her and her family, but she
was immediately attracted to him, too. Her feelings only intensify as the story
goes on, and Esme worried she was headed for heartbreak. Especially since every time she gets her hopes
up that Khai’s falling too, something happens to crush her feelings. Understandable when she doesn’t fully
understand the issues with autism.
Both Khai and Esme were a little outside of the world they
lived in, Khai because of his autism and Esme because of her culture, and I
feel that commonality bonded them even more.
They get their signals mixed a bit at first, but they seem to get a
better understanding of each other as the book goes on. What I loved most is how invested I was in these
fictional characters! Helen Hoang did a masterful job of bringing Khai and Esme
feelings come to life so that I felt their pain, yearning and passion right
along with them! With The Bride Test Ms. Hoang proves her
writing skills were no fluke, and I can’t wait for whatever she has in store
next!
4 Suns
Berkley has kindly provided a Paperback Copy of The Bride Test to giveaway to one lucky reader! Simply fill in the rafflecopter below for a chance to win! The giveaway is open to US Residents only.
A heartwarming and
refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there's not enough data in
the world to predict what will make your heart tick.
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 to crave all
the other things he's making her feel. Soon, 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...
My Thoughts:
Stella Lane is a whiz with numbers, but romantic relationships
are a confusing mystery to her. Especially when it comes to sex. Stella’s autism can make any relationship tricky
to navigate when she doesn’t always pick up on social subtleties. Feeling
pressure from her mother to date and marry, Stella figures a professional should
be able to help her enjoy intimacy and sex, and this is where Michael Phan comes
in.
Being an escort was never in Michael Phan’s life plan, but life
has handed him some rotten luck and a pile of bills.He dreads his Friday nights, the only nights
he takes on “clients”, but that all changes when he meets Stella.She’s beautiful, awkward, and honest; a
breath of fresh air, and Michael’s in serious trouble if he lets himself fall
for her.
I loved The Kiss
Quotient from page one! The story was refreshingly different and almost impossible
to put down! I adored Stella!She was so brilliant, focused and completely
unaware of her appeal.She really
thought love and sex would never be fulfilling for her or any man she paired
with, because of her condition, but when she gets together with Michael her world
shifts. Suddenly numbers aren’t Stella’s only obsession, and I couldn’t blame
her! Michael was dizzyingly hot, and
we’re not talking about looks here, he made Stella come alive sensually with his
touch and words! But more than that, Michael was so patient, understanding, and
sweet!
I savored Stella and Michael’s journey, bumps, struggles and
all! The Kiss Quotient is one of my favorite romance reads this year!
5 Suns
Excerpt:
“You’ve watched
Pretty Woman too many times. Kissing doesn’t mean anything, and it’s always
best if you’re not thinking too much in bed. Trust me,” he said.
Her mouth thinned
into a stubborn line. “This is too important for me not to think. I’d rather
not kiss anymore if you don’t mind.”
Michael’s
irritation redoubled, and he forced his hands to relax before he popped all his
blood vessels. How the hell had he gotten himself into this? Ah yes, he’d been
worried about his escort colleagues taking advantage of her. Stupid of him. His
life was complicated enough without worrying about his clients. This was
exactly why he had the one-session policy.
He would have
backed out—it was tempting—but he’d promised. He always carried through on his
promises. It was his way of balancing out the universe. His dad had broken
enough promises for the both of them.
“All right,” he
made himself say. “No kissing.”
“Do the other
plans look okay?” she asked.
He forced himself
to read them and found them pretty similar, only she’d moved from hand jobs to
blowjobs and changed the sexual positions.
Amused despite
himself, he said, “I’m surprised you used the terms ‘doggy style’ and ‘cow
girl.’”
Her cheeks went
bright red, and she adjusted her glasses. “I’m inexperienced, not clueless.”
“Your plans are
missing something important.” He held his hand out, and she placed the pen in
his palm with wary motions.
She tilted her
head to the side as she watched him write FOREPLAY at the top of all the plans
in capital letters. As an afterthought, he drew a box in front of each
iteration with hard stabs of the pen.
“But why? I was
under the impression men don’t need it.”
“You do,” he said
flatly.
She wrinkled her
nose and shook her head. “You don’t have to bother with me.”
He narrowed his
eyes. “It’s not a bother. Most men like foreplay. I do. Getting a woman hot is
satisfying as hell.” Besides, he was not having
sex with her if she wasn’t ready. No fucking way.
Swallowing, she
stared down at the menu. “So you’re saying I don’t have a chance to improve.”
“What? No.” His
mind scrambled to figure out why she might say that and came up with nothing.
“You saw how I
reacted. It was one button.”
“And then you
slept with me all night. You were basically naked, and you cling.”
“Are you two ready
to order?” the waitress interjected. Judging by the amused glimmer in her eyes,
she’d caught the last part of their conversation.
Stella perused the
dinner options, her nails picking at the fabric edging of the menu.
“We’ll have the
special,” Michael said.
“Wise choice. I’ll
leave you to it.” The waitress winked, gathered the menus, and disappeared.
“What’s the
special?” Stella asked.
“I have no idea.
Let’s hope it’s not woolly.”
A troubled frown
bracketed her mouth, and she leaned forward hesitantly, meeting his eyes for
the briefest second. “What exactly do you mean by ‘cling?’”
Michael grinned.
“It means you like to cuddle when you’re asleep.”
“Oh.”
She
looked so horrified Michael couldn’t help laughing. “I confess to liking it.”
Which was the truth, and unlike him. Cuddling was an obligatory thing he did
for his clients because he understood they needed it. He usually spent the time
counting the seconds until he could leave and go home to shower. Holding Stella
had been nothing like that. They hadn’t had sex, so there’d been nothing to
wash away, and the trusting way she’d curled into him had made him feel things
he didn’t want to think about.
About the author:
Helen Hoang is that shy
person who never talks. Until she does. And the worst things fly out of
her mouth. She read her first romance novel in eighth grade and has been
addicted ever since. In 2016, she was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum
Disorder in line with what was previously known as Asperger’s Syndrome.
Her journey inspired THE KISS QUOTIENT. She currently lives in San
Diego, California with her husband, two kids, and pet fish.
