Anna and Quan have to fight for their chance at love, but to do that, they also have to fight for themselves.A woman struggling with burnout learns to embrace the unexpected-and the man she enlists to help her-in this new New York Times bestselling romance by Helen Hoang. 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. 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. That’s where tattooed, motorcycle-riding Quan Diep comes in. The more unacceptable the men, the better.

Translation: She's going to embark on a string of one-night stands.

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.

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. It throws relatable life problems at characters you can’t help but root for. The Heart Principle is a winning balancing act. I appreciated this novel’s frankness about the characters’ struggles with mental health, the awkwardness of new sex, and the nuances of Asian American identity. Anna sees a therapist and receives a diagnosis that helps her put her relationships into perspective. Anna’s father falls ill, and The Heart Principle tackles hard questions about familial expectations and taking care of a sick parent. This book is much more than a fun, lighthearted romance. Maybe there really are other fish in the sea… Plus, they discover a shared love of ocean documentaries. He’s not who she thought she would end up with. Then her longtime boyfriend decides to open up their relationship, which is how she meets Quan.

She’s practicing the same piece over and over, unable to play it straight through. Helen Hoang introduces us to Anna, a violinist who accidentally goes viral but is paralyzed with anxiety over her newfound fame. If you crave the electricity of these early moments (or if you’re a hardcore rom-com fan like me), then might I recommend The Heart Principle. There’s nothing more exciting than the possibility of love.

Helen hoang the heart principle