I READ 5: hyped new romances

[@MeeshaK]

The Heart Principle was my most anticipated read this year and it was all because of Quan. He truly was such an amazing supporting character in the last two books, which is why I was so excited for him to finally be the lead. But unfortunately he kind of felt like a supporting character in his own book. I get why of course. Anna and her story was very personal to Helen Hoang. I just wish we got more of a balance between the leads. I agree with you though, I still loved it as a book, just not as a romance.

[@meredithklika503]

I too was looking my so forward to Quan’s story and I was sad I missed out on 2 years worth of it. I’m actually still salty about it and my visceral dislike of Priscilla.

[@vataidalma6855]

"If you're named Olive in a book you're gonna be quirky" lmao

[@psychedbypat]

The Love Hypothesis used to be reylo fanfic so that's where your fanfic feeling is coming from 😂 glad you enjoyed the book in the end, I can't wait to read it!

[@isastar940]

REYLO = 😍😍😍

[@maisunmansary]

Not one for romance-only books except when YOU love em. We all know you'd never put up with mediocrity/half-assery. Keep em coming!

[@chandlerainsley]

[@prettyinpink1222]

Chandler, your hair looks GREAT in this video omg

[@chandlerainsley]

omg thank you hahah the dry shampoo was doing all the work

[@tamannxsharma]

hi chan! i saw about 2-3 comments about you being "negative" or you just being too critical, and i want you to know that that's perfectly okay and as a long-time watcher of your content i do not mind it at all :) sometimes books don't work for you and that's okay, i am VERY appreciative of your honesty and your balls (lmao) to criticise some v popular books !! i think you're searching for a 5-star right now, and even though that cannot be every book I PERSONALLY THINK that you *do* mention how "every book need not be a 5-star read" enough times for us to know that the book is GOOD, just not the best. pls don't be disheartened. this note was wayy too long omg (but you seemed to relate to the heart principle in a concerning manner and i want you to know that we are here for you always

[@carolineblueskies]

Your tired “hey besties” in the middle is such a mood lol

[@taylorreads]

omg the love hypothesis is one of my most anticipated books of this year! I'm so excited to hear what you thought!

[@zuzekarbuzek7056]

I am grateful for your thoughts and your Goodreads review on “Heart Principle” - they saved me from a traumatic reading experience. Discussions of cancer/sickness are extremely triggering for me due to personal experience and I am definitely not in a place where I could read a book exploring one or the other (or both) without being an emotional wreck for days afterward. I’ll be picking up “Love Hypothesis” on your recommendation as I’m approaching the beginning of my last year at university and am looking for a fun and light read. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and opinions, Chandler!

[@Wuggas]

"I'm 50% of the way to emotional devastation" I feel like this should be a shirt I am very new to romance in novel form (lots of fanfic reading tho) and I really enjoy watching your vids. The Love Hypothesis is one I have pre-ordered because I *love* the artist who did the cover for this book. I'm going to wait to listen to what you said until after I get to read it because I want no expectations if that makes sense.

[@shaylaatiles]

it’s a good day when chandler uploads a new video :)

[@chandlerainsley]

hehe thanks for watching

[@shaylaatiles]

@@chandlerainsley thank you, queen 🤍 excited to hear your thoughts!

[@hiyasharma1392]

I can't pinpoint the exact reason especially bcoz I haven't read any of these books, but I just freaking LOVED this video. I have been watching your channel for more than a year now and I just loveee your vibe and everything else. God bless you!!

[@BlueberryPickles]

"The Love Hypothesis seems fanficy" - it started as a reylo fanfic

[@chandlerainsley]

haha yep true

[@sydneyparker7150]

I JUST COMMENTED THIS AND I HAD NO IDEA LMAO. My ‘hypothesis’ based off the cover art was correct…

[@Carola16]

I had a hunch when I saw the cover, then a full blown “dang, this sounds familiar” feeling.

[@raev.9007]

The Love Hypothesis is actually a published Rey/Kylo Star Wars fanfic, which is why that fanficy vibe comes through haha. Im excited to read the "official" version of it!

[@chandlerainsley]

it was a lot of fun! hope you like it :)

[@isastar940]

Reylo = 😍💖

[@maddisonrex9625]

I'm new to your channel, and at first was sort of put off by how "harshly" you rate books, but what I've since figured out is that you just have much higher expectations than I do with these books. I just want a fun little enjoyable distraction and you are much more detailed and want to discern the important facets of each book. I've come to really really appreciate that. Sometimes I'm sad when you rate a book I really enjoyed low, but that is almost always offset by then reading a book you do rate high and enjoy because I find they are ALWAYS worth the read. I appreciate your detailed reviews when it comes to these books and now put your recommendations on a higher pedestal. Great work, love your channel, thank you so much for all the time you put into reading and reviewing!

[@chandlerainsley]

thanks so much :)

[@kendall09]

The problem with The Heart Principle for me was that I didn’t buy the little romance that was there. In the kiss quotient for example, you could so feel how the two characters complimented each other and were going to become genuine partners in life. But here, it felt like we were just told that Quan is drawn to Anna but given not that good of an explanation why. The relationship was just entirely one sided. Quan supported Anna, but he never really received that support back. Sexually as well, he’s doing all the heavy lifting and she’s barely into it. The relationship at the end (when they are for real together) also felt so boring and honestly depressing. There was simply no joy.

[@chandlerainsley]

yes! a book like this needed a lot of levity to balance out the sadness and it just didn't deliver that. i also think it might have been better to have quan with a different heroine. i think anna's story was important but she didn't seem well suited for quan

[@audreyjoygarcia7605]

It was also quite sad that we did not get to see Quan's family when they were so heavily mentioned in the first two books. I swear this book had a different plot summary and was changed along with the release date. I do not know if I am remembering correctly or what, but it was supposed to be a story of Quan trying to get with Priscilla with Anna trying to stop it because she hates him (anna was also supposed to have OCD). The first plot that I am remembering definitely plays more with the Quan that we know, the player (which was also barely mentioned in the book). I was so excited to get to know him past that player persona and got barely anything. The book honestly felt quite rushed and yes it was sad, but I also felt like there was not enough depth to it compared to Helen Hoang's other books. Sadly, I saw no chemistry between the two leads either. So disappointing.

[@dearjoanna3578]

Olive, Olivia and Poppy are everywhere in books right now but I don’t know a single Poppy or Olive in real life 😂

[@chandlerainsley]

yeah i was thinking about that last night haha Poppy specifically... seems more like something millennials are naming their OWN kids

[@alyrica0505]

For me there are pros and cons for both traditionally and independently published romances. With trad you get better editing (typically) but they are a lot more formulaic, generally speaking. Conversely, with indy they run the gamut of tropes and elements but often there is a noticable difference with the editing. Ultimately, I prefer indy which is good because the price of books seems to have increased a lot over the last 5 years. KU allows me to keep my reading addiction!!

[@chandlerainsley]

yep agree with pretty much all of that ^ couldn't live without my KU

[@amelia5287]

i totally agree with you about the heart principle not functioning as a romance, like i wish they had more of a 'meet cute' rather than just them meeting on tinder. i also think that the steamy scenes were hard to enjoy bc idk if this was just me reading the scene wrong, but it never really felt like anna was ever as into it as quan was, like she described it as just 'fine' and there wasn't much satisfaction till the end. i get that's about her mental health and helen did a great job with that, it was just hard to enjoy when you expected a romance :/

[@chandlerainsley]

i get where you're coming from! tbh i kind of appreciated how refreshing the sex scenes were, especially at the beginning. it surprises me how few books bring up how uncomfortable/awkward sex can be. but i do wish anna had communicated more... quan was totally wanting to help her out

[@anon9069]

lovee this vid!! would you consider making a video about what books to read if we like a certain romance movie? i really like romance books when i read them but its hard for me to be interested enough to pick it up! i picked up ‘people we meet on vacation’ bc it was compared to ‘when harry met sally’ and it was the perfect comparison i loved the book

[@chandlerainsley]

that would be fun! i'll add it to my list

[@vadalee6301]

you look stunning in this video!! i can't wait to hear your thoughts on what all you've read 🥰

[@chandlerainsley]

thanks so much!

[@ABisdoingjustfine]

I’m in the hospital because of dengue, and this video is what I needed to get through the day. Thanks Chan.

[@lynnbraden1044]

If you read some of the author's notes in The Heart Principle, my understanding is that the reason that there was such a long time after the release of The Bride Test and the reason that it is so emotional has to do with Helen Hoang dealing with her own struggles with cancer and personal loss. It doesn't make me want to read this book, but it might make it easier to realize why this book is so sad.

[@chandlerainsley]

yep i read the author's note and totally understand where she's coming from! the added context didn't really change my feelings on the book though

[@lynnbraden1044]

@@chandlerainsley Understood and agree

[@Katiedora122]

I definitely enjoyed If the Shoe Fits, because it was just the right level of fluff I was looking for at the time. I liked the twist on Cinderella, although I agree it wasn't particularly romantic. Also, I think that "Isn't It Bromantic?" is actually my favorite of the series, because I think it took parts of the 2nd and 3rd books that didn't work for me and made them better (like suspense, friends-to-lovers, and book inserts).

[@nataliyachepurnova29]

Just wanted to say how good you look in that Texas U shirt, especially with the orange lip!

[@ns1382]

I always gravitate towards some wholesome MM romance to get out of any kind of reading funk/slump/hangover. I highly recommend Dearest Milton James by N.R.Walker.

[@isastar940]

Love this video 🥰💜 - I really loved the Love Hypothesis and was so happy when I found out it used to be a reylo fanfiction!!! Btw, could you make a video with celebrity romance recommendations?

[@chandlerainsley]

i don't really have any/many because i'm not typically a fan of them!

[@haleythomas5854]

You introduced me to Helen Hoang and I'm forever grateful to you for that. She's one of my favorite authors and my definite favorite romance writer.

[@chandlerainsley]

i'm so glad you've loved her books too

[@gloriaaaaa]

youre my comfort person. thanks for this video. i needed it so much. made my day

[@chandlerainsley]

thanks so much for watching

[@shell1338]

I waited so long for "Quan's" book and I was so let down. I couldn't rate this. For me, The Heart Principal would have worked better as a stand alone. If I would have read this and had no knowledge of Quan or his family then I would have enjoyed it more. I was beyond let down by The Heart Principal. That being said, I agree this doesn't work as a romance but it's a really good book.

[@annajo6576]

so i’ve never read the other two books and i absolutely fell IN LOVE with quan. so i think you’re probably right!

[@shell1338]

@@annajo6576 the other two books are also really good.

[@cuburubi]

To be fair, the bride test set the bar reaaaally high. I also didn't like it as much as the first two in the series.

[@shell1338]

@@cuburubi Agreed. I loved the Bride Test. It was so good.

[@dilyakhismatullina434]

This release took too long, actually. And I am a bit confused about the plot. As if a remember the plot was the main heroine was planning to ruin her sisters wedding to Quan, she gad ocd ( or sorts of). Did the author change it while writing? Or do I mixed it up with some other book?

[@jeaninea5029]

I listened to all the bromance series on audio and loved them I thought the narrators were great looking forward to this new one

[@Voltage256]

I'm really only a Fantasy/Sci-fi kind of person but been trying to branch out into romance so far I've found them all cheesy and just not good so might try one of these

[@isastar940]

Try reading indie romance books, they're usually a lot less cheesy/not cheesy at all, compared to traditionally published romance books. Probably because they aren't trying to please a huge audience... Indie authors that I would really recommend checking out: - Emma Scott - Mia Sheridan - Penelope Douglas - Saffron A. Kent - Mariana Zapata - Ella Fields - Cora Reilly

[@Strannik01]

19:58 "It feels like someone was writing fanfiction..." I mean, that's exactly what Hazelwood did. I haven't read it yet, but I have wondered how this would look without the original Reylo context, and whether its fanfiction roots will come through. I guess now we know.

[@lailaibrahim2560]

Chandler blessing my day with romance recs as always

[@irikupenska]

Great video, as always! Have you read any of Jennifer Hartmann's books? I binge read three of hers - Lotus, Still beating and The wrong Heart and I honestly don't know why people are not talking about them and her as an author. Maybe you could do a video about UNhyped/Unpopular romance books and review them 😊😊

[@sarahkim5947]

Thank you so much for your books recommendation&I love your books recommendation! I'm so excited to read those books later on&you're the best booktuber ever! You inspire me so much! I recommend you to read James Patterson's thriller books, The Gifts of Imperfection Book by Brene Brown, Self-Compassion Book by Kristin Neff, The Body Keeps the Score book by Dr.Bessel Van Der Kolk! These books are interesting, helpful, sad, beneficial to read! I hope you do have a great week&You're so gorgeous! :)

[@janesocalgal2278]

I liked Isnt' it Bromantic/ I LOVED The Heart Principle. 5 stars. I listened to the audio (great narrators) and also read along with the kindle book.

[@SF-op5ix]

I’ll probably end up taking a look at most of these. As much as I like Helen Hoang, I might pass on this new one at least for a while. Not sure if I can handle that emotional ride right now.

[@kyndal5899]

i’m still watching the video but i noticed you saying the love hypothesis sounding like a fan fiction, and it used to be a kylo ren fanfic lmfao

[@FourPawsandaBook]

I’m sorry you didn’t find a new favorite! I’m excited to get the Love Hypothesis in my BOTM box!

[@SF-op5ix]

Okay I’m already sold on “Isn’t It Bromantic?” My favorite tropes!

[@annajo6576]

NOT me blushing like a loon while listening to the audiobook ok the heart principle anytime quan said “anna” during the sex scenes. ALSO you read 3 books with characters named anna!! it’s the new “olive” and “olivia”

[@angelconnn]

OH MY GOSH I LOVED PRIVILEGED.

[@00KATL]

Wow. Your bookcase! 😍 Can we get a tour?! Please.

[@megalina2]

you really sold me on isn't it Bromantic from the 1st check in. it sounds so good I dropped everything to buy it

[@amywade2753]

Eating dinner on Sundays with you is becoming a routine 😏

[@chandlerainsley]

heh love that

[@art3mis898]

I feel the same way about the name Josh .

[@chandlerainsley]

god yes. the dreaded josh

[@cloudlover16]

Chandler reading romance makes my heart happy.

[@chandlerainsley]

looooots more where that came from. no really like LOTS (next sunday hehe)

[@nikma3116]

I'm tempted to read the spoilers for Quan's books because I don't see myself reading it at this moment but I really want to what happens

[@mariama12]

Same😭. I know I shouldn’t but I really want to prepare myself.

[@elidhios]

So excited for this video!! I'm loving all this books, but I'll be back to watch it after finishing them just in case there's spoilers ❤️❤️❤️

[@angelacanedit]

1:46 ok you have my interest

[@antonela5979]

I think I need to accept the fact that some characters are meant to only be a side character. I loved Quan and Vlad and in the end, both stories disappointed me.

[@ebeth5891]

Bromantic: gave it the exact same rating for the exact same reason

[@josiemanning5810]

you are so pretty! you look just like anne hathaway omg

[@chandlerainsley]

thanks so much :)

[@angelacanedit]

7:38 omggg why am i cackling

[@nix_cosplay]

Anyone else always clap along to the intro?

[@theahegwood]

Try the “wrong mr darcy” this book acc has good plot twist that I never come comimg

[@theahegwood]

Try my Oxford year by Julia whelan

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

I need to read the heart principle so badly 😩

[@sydneyparker7150]

Betcha any money The Love Hypothesis is reskinned Reylo fanfiction

[@chandlerainsley]

it is i believe lol

[@rebekahmenn2118]

Is The Heart Principle part of a series? And if so, where does this book rank to you among the others?

[@chandlerainsley]

yes it's the third book. i liked the 2nd book best, then the 1st, then the 3rd.

[@rebekahmenn2118]

@@chandlerainsley Do you think it's necessary for comprehension to read them in order?

[@sophiekoett1740]

@@rebekahmenn2118 for me each book can really be read as it’s own since the characters reoccur in each of their stories, but I think The Kiss Quotient should be read first for in-world chronology and just general character introductions :) hope this helps! ^_^

[@jaginaiaelectrizs6341]

_oof-_ ..I have *serious* sympathy pangs, for you, for that energy difference from the start to the end of this.😅😅 It feels like it might be weird, just randomly offering a hug to someone like this without personally knowing them or knowing if they’re a hugger or not, but .. here it is anyway: _^offers a hug, if you need &/or want it^_ 🙂 But that's what we're here for: Your honest opinions, & your genuine thoughts/feelings-good and bad, and everything else, alike! And that's what makes your channel great. 💜

[@IBEtripz]

I was so excited for the heart principle and i did not like it . I loved Quan and i felt i was cheated out of his romance and hit with a super depressing story that put his personality on the backburner. The only reason we knew they loved eachother is because the author told us . I didnt believe it. Not for me . Kiss quotient >>>>>

[@miya7917]

honestly, my favorite books out of the bromance bookclub series are the second and third books. they're ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS. the last one is great, but I don't really love the first one because of the kind of forced intimacy from the main character to his wife.

[@mackiereallyreads]

Most people feel the heart principle is women's fiction not romance. Do you agree?

[@chandlerainsley]

i don't totally love the label of women's fiction/chicklit but i suppose it does fit more in to that category than a traditional romance

[@Sofia_Monteiro]

@@chandlerainsley do you equate women's fiction to chicklit? Really interested in your answer. I read great books written by and about women and would not use "chicklit" as a synonym

[@mariama12]

@@Sofia_Monteiro i think when people usually say “women’s fiction” it’s code for chicklit. If not, they’d usually classify it as just fiction, thriller, etc.

[@ashleyk131]

I have the same exact thoughts about heroine's named Olive! Usually that's a sign that this is going to be a quirky girl I'll be annoyed with

[@ninjaturtles12121]

jeez my lib has a long hold line for the love hypothesis now lol....

[@beetljam792]

i dont read any romance but something about your videos, maam....

[@maithaalshamsi5350]

The heart principle disappointed me, Quan was served no justice in his own book, Anna and Quan had no chemistry in my opinion. However the challenges Anna faced with her father and that whole aspect i loved and was so realistic, the romance in the book did not live up to the hype for me it felt sooo awkward.

[@teddyf3960]

00:23 How come you're not a fan of traditional publishing?❤

[@chandlerainsley]

i don't dislike it i just prefer the freedom authors have in indie romance to explore non traditional plots

[@ReadwithStefani]

The Heart Principle was a very underwhelming read for me.

[@EzmeCM98]

Okay I didn't want to write this comment because I know reading is for everyone and of course this is my opinion and my word is not law and I am probably the minority here but I really needed to get this off my chest. I use to LOVE watching your videos and got so excited when I would see your videos in my feed but now I feel like every video is just the same thing being said over and over again. You're never really satisfied with anything you've been reading lately and you're always talking about how none of these books are ever 'ground breaking or new' and you're just always talking about how you can never really connect with the characters and some of the stuff never seems 'real life' to you. Like I understand people read for different reasons and some people like to relate to the characters they read about but I feel like if you are always trying to find yourself in these characters you are never really going to like anything you read. I know you are trying to expand your genres and get out of your comfort zone but I think because of that you are finding alot of books you are not enjoying. I would love if you went back to reading things you know you will love because I loved picking up the books you recommended and some of my favorite books are books that you enjoyed and recommended I'm sorry if this comment doesnt make any sense I'm not that great at expressing myself in words but I just really miss when you use to enjoy the books you read and would speak highly of them and have a good time.

[@chandlerainsley]

that is a fair assessment! it's something i've been trying to figure out for myself lately. a few people have commented this in the past and i totally get that, it's not super fun watching someone bitch over and over again about the same things. but it's also not as simple as just "reading things i like" cause with any book i pick up, i'm taking a risk. sometimes i like it sometimes i don't and i'm not the best at determining ahead of time what is more likely to be a win for me. but i am trying to get to a place where the majority of the stuff i'm reading i'm loving. which i think is going to mean reading a lot more kindle unlimited stuff going forward, which i have planned in to my content for the next few months! i really appreciate your feedback, because it's something i've been feeling myself. thanks for taking the time to comment