The Heart Principle

Hoang mentions in the author's note that this is the most autobiographical of her work to-date, which I had wondered about as I was reading. This is not as light as her previous two books - in addition to the romance (which is wonderful), it deals very much with the slow death of a parent, and what we owe (or are expected to owe) our loved ones when it comes to end-of-life care, especially when there are disagreements about what that person would have wanted at the end of their life. It is heavy, and hard to watch Anna drown in herself while trying to handle being around her family constantly, masking and suffering from autistic burnout without seeing an end in sight.

Quan was a wonderful partner, dealing with his own weighty past, but following his own dreams and dealing with his own issues, both with their relationship and his job. I loved him and Anna together.

TW: suicidal ideation, anxiety, body dysmorphia (male)