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halthemonarch's review against another edition
4.0
First I'll start by saying holy crap, Kwan is so cute and sweet! I've been waiting for this one ever since the first Heart Principle book, when Michael needed help from his mega-tattooed, motorcycle riding, gym bro bestie because he was being a massive idiot where Stella was concerned. Gym bro bestie encouraged Michael to be real with his feelings, and eventually, he got a happily ever after!
Then there was Esme and Kwan's idiot cousin, Khai, who needed almost the same lecture from our boy. Again, he's the silent hero, the unwavering support pillar.
Book one was half about Stella's autism, half about Michael's emotional constipation. Book two was half about Khai's misunderstanding of human emotion and half Esme's whirlwind immigrant in a new land story. Book three felt like 75% Anna and her undiagnosed issues, and 25% Kwan being Ana's dream boy. There are some other Kwan parts in there like his struggle to keep his gym afloat through legal and financial battles, his grand canyon fail, the ball cancer plotline-- but this felt very much like Anna's book, and I was waiting three books for a KWAN overload, thank you.
I chaff and I complain but really I think a lot of people, myself included, would be able to relate to Anna. She's clueless, an artist, and experiencing creative burnout. I've been drawing all my life and since 2019 I've felt incapable of making new content. Like me, Anna is an artist, a musician who sacrifices every bit of her own comfort for the sake of family and not rocking the boat. It's simpler for her to incept an idea into someone else's head than to say "hey, I want to break up with you" or "that was an inappropriate marriage proposal, hell no!". It's a more feasible plan to destroy her violin than to simply tell her family that she doesn't wish to-- no, scratch that-- CANNOT perform. Even if one doesn't have the emotional drain of taking care of a brain-dead parent like Anna, I think emotional burnout is something a lot of people are dealing with especially now during the pandemic.
Over the course of the book she realizes that honoring herself and her partner is the least she and Kwan deserve, and going forward she gets a therapist, works through her diagnosis, and discovers that making art will never feel the same way again-- and that's okay. Honestly, it was an emotional read for me. This review is all over the place. TL;DR I wish there was more Kwan in there and Anna was mad relatable.
Then there was Esme and Kwan's idiot cousin, Khai, who needed almost the same lecture from our boy. Again, he's the silent hero, the unwavering support pillar.
Book one was half about Stella's autism, half about Michael's emotional constipation. Book two was half about Khai's misunderstanding of human emotion and half Esme's whirlwind immigrant in a new land story. Book three felt like 75% Anna and her undiagnosed issues, and 25% Kwan being Ana's dream boy. There are some other Kwan parts in there like his struggle to keep his gym afloat through legal and financial battles, his grand canyon fail, the ball cancer plotline-- but this felt very much like Anna's book, and I was waiting three books for a KWAN overload, thank you.
I chaff and I complain but really I think a lot of people, myself included, would be able to relate to Anna. She's clueless, an artist, and experiencing creative burnout. I've been drawing all my life and since 2019 I've felt incapable of making new content. Like me, Anna is an artist, a musician who sacrifices every bit of her own comfort for the sake of family and not rocking the boat. It's simpler for her to incept an idea into someone else's head than to say "hey, I want to break up with you" or "that was an inappropriate marriage proposal, hell no!". It's a more feasible plan to destroy her violin than to simply tell her family that she doesn't wish to-- no, scratch that-- CANNOT perform. Even if one doesn't have the emotional drain of taking care of a brain-dead parent like Anna, I think emotional burnout is something a lot of people are dealing with especially now during the pandemic.
Over the course of the book she realizes that honoring herself and her partner is the least she and Kwan deserve, and going forward she gets a therapist, works through her diagnosis, and discovers that making art will never feel the same way again-- and that's okay. Honestly, it was an emotional read for me. This review is all over the place. TL;DR I wish there was more Kwan in there and Anna was mad relatable.
intentionaltorts's review against another edition
3.0
If I ever see Priscilla it’s on sight. Just kidding, I don’t believe in violence… but seriously, she’s pure evil. Girlbossing to the max and being an absolute terror while doing so.
On a more general note, I loved this book in the first half, but as the book progressed, it became so painful to read. I think Hoang is a great writer and I enjoyed all of her last books, so this is hard for me to say. There are some parts that are lovely, but I am left with a general feeling of dissatisfaction after finishing reading.
Disclaimer: I am in no way trying to diminish the experiences that Hoang has gone through, nor am I trying to make any judgements of the description of autism. However, in terms of genre and story, I don’t think Hoang should have put this in the Kiss Quotient series. Because of the way it was in-between two genres, I found the book to be thematically inconsistent and the character arc unsatisfying, and the different parts of the book to be quite disjointed (especially Before and During). If you want to focus on one character’s journey, don’t make it a dual-POV. If this is a character story, it should have more development and conclusion. I’m not saying she should have made a happy go lucky romcom, but instead, Hoang should developed Anna’s arc more.
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[SPOILER PART] I think I was most sorely disappointed in how frustrating Anna’s character development was, especially during the climax of the book at Ba’s bday party. I wish she wasn’t depicted as so helpless. It was so inordinately frustrating, maybe more-so for myself because I hate reading about women who are forced to accommodate others instead of doing/saying what they want. Plus I wish she told the whole family that her father signaled to her to take him off of life support because she never properly explained that HE literally signed it, and it wasn’t just an assumption.
Alternatively, I wish that Anna depicted learning how to reach out for help. I was so uncomfortable and scared for her, especially around Julian. I agree with other reviewers that consent is an issue because of this. I wish there was more of a resolution with Priscilla, at least showcasing Anna more at peace with the situation. I wish she was depicted going to therapy to gain tools to express her needs. I wanted a fuller resolution, and I feel like it would have vastly changed my opinion on the book. It just felt incomplete at the end.
[update on reread]
Anna...girl, stand up.
And the ending is unsatisfying.
On a more general note, I loved this book in the first half, but as the book progressed, it became so painful to read. I think Hoang is a great writer and I enjoyed all of her last books, so this is hard for me to say. There are some parts that are lovely, but I am left with a general feeling of dissatisfaction after finishing reading.
Disclaimer: I am in no way trying to diminish the experiences that Hoang has gone through, nor am I trying to make any judgements of the description of autism. However, in terms of genre and story, I don’t think Hoang should have put this in the Kiss Quotient series. Because of the way it was in-between two genres, I found the book to be thematically inconsistent and the character arc unsatisfying, and the different parts of the book to be quite disjointed (especially Before and During). If you want to focus on one character’s journey, don’t make it a dual-POV. If this is a character story, it should have more development and conclusion. I’m not saying she should have made a happy go lucky romcom, but instead, Hoang should developed Anna’s arc more.
.
.
.
.
.
[SPOILER PART] I think I was most sorely disappointed in how frustrating Anna’s character development was, especially during the climax of the book at Ba’s bday party. I wish she wasn’t depicted as so helpless. It was so inordinately frustrating, maybe more-so for myself because I hate reading about women who are forced to accommodate others instead of doing/saying what they want. Plus I wish she told the whole family that her father signaled to her to take him off of life support because she never properly explained that HE literally signed it, and it wasn’t just an assumption.
Alternatively, I wish that Anna depicted learning how to reach out for help. I was so uncomfortable and scared for her, especially around Julian. I agree with other reviewers that consent is an issue because of this. I wish there was more of a resolution with Priscilla, at least showcasing Anna more at peace with the situation. I wish she was depicted going to therapy to gain tools to express her needs. I wanted a fuller resolution, and I feel like it would have vastly changed my opinion on the book. It just felt incomplete at the end.
[update on reread]
Anna...girl, stand up.
And the ending is unsatisfying.
annalaurasw's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, where to begin. I felt so seen by this book, and while I went into it expecting for there to be similarities between me and the main character (we share a name, after all!) I did not expect how many shared experiences we would have or the strong feeling of kinship I would feel with her.
Like this Anna, I was diagnosed with autism as an adult. So many things clicked into place once I realized I was autistic, and the descriptions of Anna's symptoms are the most specific representation of how I experience neurodiversity that I've ever read. Autism is a spectrum, and manifests itself in many different ways, and I'm so glad that Hoang wrote a character that embodies these lesser-known traits.
Her need to mask, to pretend that everything was okay when it wasn't, to ignore her own needs in order to please others, and especially to turn herself into someone she isn't in order to please her family deeply resonated with me. The fact that she is able to deconstruct this behavior and become a truer, more authentic version of herself while at the same time finding a meaningful connection with someone who loves her for who she is meant so much to me.
This book is a wonderful example of exactly how important and impactful the romance genre can be. I would recommend it to anyone interested in reading a love story or who wanted to learn more about the lived experience of autism. I will however issue a trigger warning for death of a loved one, caretaker fatigue, and descriptions of depression and autistic burnout.
Like this Anna, I was diagnosed with autism as an adult. So many things clicked into place once I realized I was autistic, and the descriptions of Anna's symptoms are the most specific representation of how I experience neurodiversity that I've ever read. Autism is a spectrum, and manifests itself in many different ways, and I'm so glad that Hoang wrote a character that embodies these lesser-known traits.
Her need to mask, to pretend that everything was okay when it wasn't, to ignore her own needs in order to please others, and especially to turn herself into someone she isn't in order to please her family deeply resonated with me. The fact that she is able to deconstruct this behavior and become a truer, more authentic version of herself while at the same time finding a meaningful connection with someone who loves her for who she is meant so much to me.
This book is a wonderful example of exactly how important and impactful the romance genre can be. I would recommend it to anyone interested in reading a love story or who wanted to learn more about the lived experience of autism. I will however issue a trigger warning for death of a loved one, caretaker fatigue, and descriptions of depression and autistic burnout.
nirejalk's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
penn_and_paper's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness and Death of parent
jairereads's review against another edition
3.0
It was good for me to see the horrors of masking play out in this story. I think the quality of the romance suffered a bit from its bildungsroman focus, but it was generally realistic, and I didn't personally read it for a satisfying romance.
jojobirrd's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
libraryofdreaming's review against another edition
Wow, this was a roller coaster of emotions!
lauraazz's review against another edition
4.0
I love reading books with deep family dinamics and this took me through a lot of feelings: anger, relief, sadness.. really enjoyed to see the focus on Anna and her transformation and it was so honest, so raw. Although I'd have liked to see more of it for Quan. The build up for his character in the series was strong but I don't feel it's accomplished what it was meant to. Nice one overall