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.
I don't know why it took me so long to pick this book up. I mean, it tackles lots of issues in life—family, love, relationships. It felt so raw, so intense. Truth be told, I have not yet read the second book, but many have told me that I don't have to and it is okay to skip it. However, I'm going to hunt for the second book very soon. This is a self-discovery story, a poignant one, and a tear-jerker book.
I love the two main characters, Anna and Quan. Both of them are really special characters to me. The love story between the two of them is really adorable, and together they go on a journey of self-discovery and understand each other better. Anna's character kind of reminds me of myself. I always think about other people more, the need to please them and ignore my own heart. It's really exhausting, and I don't do that anymore. On the other hand, the story of Anna's family really makes me angry. It is really frustrating and they are not supportive at all. I'm still mad thinking about it. But the part of Anna taking care of her father really makes me emotional. I'm crying so hard. Quan is really a wonderful man. His manners are great, and I like that.
Honestly, this is by far the hardest one to review. I mean, the reading took me awhile to finish as I devoured every word of it, and gosh, I feel like I just finished a whole difficult ride on a roller coaster. I love the story, but this isn't a simple story. You must prepare your emotional self. Helen Hoang has written an incredible book. This is definitely highly recommended for you to read.
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