He was ignoring everyone, including her, at this expensive wedding. So he could read a novel about alien demon things. My soulmate!I am going to share this again closer to publication, but after my experience with The Kiss Quotient and how it quite literally changed my life, I just couldn't wait to read this. And I gave a lot of thought to my rating. Five stars for a cute smutty romance? Really? But these books are very special to me and I think, deep down, they are actually a lot more than c

I really enjoyed Hoang’s first book, The Kiss Quotient, but unfortunately The Bride Test didn’t hit the same for me. I didn’t think the characters have chemistry or a genuine connection with each other, and they were both too passive to the point where the plot moving forward was dependent on the side characters pushing them. Even the setup itself, with the main guy’s mom literally flying in a woman from out the country to make her live with him so that they could marry, was too much for me. Whi...

reading the romance finalists for the 2019 goodreads choice awardsbitch i am WEAKhelen hoang's writing makes the upstairs and the downstairs damp if u catch my drift ok i'll see myself out

ARC provided by Berkley in exchange for an honest review. “It felt too big. At the same time, it didn’t feel like enough.” The Bride Test is the most anticipated sophomore novel from Helen Hoang, AKA: the goddess who we do not deserve and who gifted us The Kiss Quotient! And this book is following a couple of characters who we originally met in that debut! I didn’t love this installment as much as I did The Kiss Quotient, but I still think that this book is a treasure and that Helen Ho...

The Bride Test is the second installment in Helen Hoang's collection of adult romance standalones titled The Kiss Quotient. As opposed to many other readers, I personally enjoyed The Bride Test much more than its predecessor. Hoang continues to be inclusive with a high-functioning autistic primary character. Subtle education about this amazing population shatters ignorant stereotypes as we witness internal processing, growth, and love. Yes, love. Doesn't it look and feel different to us all rega...

I like Helen Hoang’s writing and how she writes romantic stories about different kinds of people. I loved loved loved The Kiss Quotient and had high hopes for her second novel. Overall, The Bride Test is fun. Hoang is a great storyteller. I loved the characters she created here. Khai, Esme/Mÿ were compelling as were their families. The sexy parts were sexy. There were interesting tensions throughout the novel. Esme was a particularly admirable character because she had a clear sense of self and

“I’m not lonely. I like being alone.”So, it’s a bit awkward when you go from rating a book 5-stars to downgrading it to anything less than. The re-reading experience for this book was slightly different than the first one I had. I reread books all the time. Rarely does it happen when my experience of it changes. Usually my feelings toward the book intensifies. I can’t say that was the case with this story. My issues mainly occurred during the first 100 pages or so. They were slightly jarring. I

A romance with characters that express so much more than just physical attraction, but also grasps the heart of the reader with the tender emotions that are portrayed... Once this beauty landed in my hands, I knew that there was no backing down of putting everything to the side and start it. That's what Helen Hoang does to you once you get a small glimpse of her writing. I remember last year how hesitant I was about reading The Kiss Quotient because of all the hype and love it kept getting. W

my initial reaction after finishing this was to gush about how cute the story is. i love, love, love the diversity of characters and the autism representation. i absolutely adore khai with every fibre of my being and seeing him grow was such a rewarding feeling.that being said, i couldnt ignore a tiny nagging poke at the back of my brain. after taking some time to think about it, im not quite sure i adore this as much as i thought i did. i still love khai and i think his character is someone who...

Still good (I cried), but the dynamics of this relationship are not my fave. Also, I have to say it again, not enough smut, especially compared to Hoang's other two books. _____I am not going to up this to 5 stars. I mostly agree with my old review - this book needs about 100% more smut in it. And this time around the whole immigrant story line made me extra anxious and sad (Even though I find that immigrant experience here is portrayed in a sugar-coated way. It is 10 times harder to get through...

Ugh. No. Not for me.So many issues, so little time. I appreciated the author’s note at the end. I’ll just leave it that. I received an ARC of this book from Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Helen Hoang has done it again! Similarly to The Kiss Quotient, this perfectly balances a mix of charming romance and deeper topics and I loved the heck out of it. The only thing that really kept me from giving this a full 5 stars was the weird power imbalance between Khai and Esme. I never doubted them or their feelings for each other, but it did just feel a little weird as a reader knowing the stakes and the secrets that were being kept behind the scenes. With all that being said I still HIGHLY...

Many thanks to Berkely for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest reviewThis is one of my favorite books that deals with mental illness! To see the others and to here me ramble about my brain, watch my video, A Brief Trip Inside My Mind!------------------- Everyone deserved to love and be loved back. Everyone. Even her. Is this what heaven is like? For the first time in -Checking... - six months, my little shriveled soul got a little less shriveled. This book grabbed my heart, tie...

ok, so despite my average rating, this book was actually super cute!Last year I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. It was enjoyable and cute and oh, so unique. Never had I read a book from the point of view of a character on the autism spectrum. To be honest, its something I never even thought about, especially not when it came to romance novels. I really do wish that more authors take that POV into account in the future as it was definitely an interestin...

Another sweet, sexy winner from Helen Hoang.The protagonist Khai Diep is Michael's cousin from The Kiss Quotient. He is autistic, nerdy and prefers tax conventions to concerts. Ever since the death of his bestfriend in a freak accident at 15, Khai believes himself to be incapable of emotions, which prevents him from forming any meaningful relationships outside of his family. His perpetually single status forces his overbearing but well meaning mother to find a bride from Viet Nam. Her find is a

🥰 The Bride Test is a sexy and sweet romance story with substance. 💖 Khai Diep is handsome, successful and autistic. He doesn't feel things like others and believes he is incapable of the emotion required for love. Khai's mother wants nothing more than to see her son married, even if it means going to Vietnam and finding his future bride herself! Esme (My) is a hardworking, single mother who only wants to provide the best for her family. At her mother's urging, she accepts the offer to spend the...

I'll admit I was disappointed when I finished this one because I did enjoy The Kiss Quotient and had high hopes this would be a good read as well. Lack of good chemistry is the main issue I had with this book and why it was only an okay read. Once again the author has featured characters that are underrepresented in fiction which is awesome but given romance is such a big part of the story, the fact I wasn't really feeling it, was a significant problem. Other readers really connected with the ch...

I legit had a huge smile on my face from start to finish (okay, okay, I did cry at certain parts!!). Along with almost everyone who read The Kiss Quotient I have been anticipating this book for a year. After loving Helen Hoang's first book I was super hyped for her next work AND IT SURPASSED MY EXPECTATIONS!!Esme is struggling in Vietnam to support her family. They rely on her and when the opportunity to go to America is presented — by a woman who is desperate to find a good Vietnamese girl for

The story is sweet, kind, loving and gentle. And did I mention steamy?? Oh my!Khai’s mother is desperate to find him a wife. Khai’s problem is not that simple – he is autistic and just has no interest in personal relationships. Well, time for MOM to step in! On a “bride seeking” trip to Vietnam, she crosses paths with a beautiful young woman working at the hotel. After a brief, but far from subtle conversation, she gives Esme a most interesting proposition. Come to America, and win over her love...

Four compassionate girl loves boy loves girl stars! I loved this book! I love Khai and My/ Esme’s story more than Michael and Stella’s story! Their story is sexier, more passionate, more real, poignant, genuine and emotional.Khai might think he is out of feelings, he cannot connect with people, it’s impossible for him to love someone. Well, it’s so wrong ! Because from the beginning even he resists to change and he is irritated to live with Esme, blaming her push him out of his comfort zone, he

4.5 stars."Khai didn't hurt. He felt nothing most of the time. That was exactly why he steered clear of romantic relationships. If someone liked him that way, he'd only end up disappointing them when he couldn't reciprocate. It wouldn't be right."Khai Diep is handsome, successful, a devoted son and brother. He has his routines and he likes everything in its place. He thinks he's broken because he doesn't feel emotions the way others do, and it has caused his problems. But his family knows it's j...

#FallIntoMyBacklist Book 1This book was so meaningful in so many ways. I adored the autistic rep, the steamy romance, the cultural discussions, and the promotion of female empowerment. Full review to come.

2 / 5 ~Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! After finishing The Kiss Quotient a week ago, getting approved for this arc was amazing. I started it right away. And, sadly, I realized it was going to be nothing like The Kiss Quotient.The Kiss Quotient characters had chemistry, whereas in this book, I felt like there was little-to-no chemistry. Obviously, that’s my opinion and some of you will disagree when the book is released. But, I wasn’t a fan.I’ll write more when the book is released in May;

Right then and there, Khai decided green was his favorite color, but it had to be this specific shade of seafoam green.Story 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟My never thought about anything bigger then living her life, working as hard as she can so she could see her daughter happy. Yes, she got pregnant pretty young. But she would do it again just so she could have her wonderful baby girl by her side.Then My meets a strange rich lady that searches a husband for her son - Khai. Even though My refuses, after talking to her

3.25 Stars.A Light-Hearted Rom Com with several blush worthy moments! Khai’s mother is desperate to find her son a wife - so desperate that she travels all the way to Vietnam! There, she discovers Esme (My) who she knows is the perfect match for Khai. Khai however, doesn’t want a wife. He doesn’t feel things like others and has never felt love. Khai is autistic, dislikes being touched and doesn’t really like being around people. That said, when he sees Esme he has an intense and immediate reacti...

The fact that I enjoyed this is going to make me a demonstrably worse person.I have been trying to get better lately about reading books I think I'll like. This may seem like, you know, the most obvious reminder on the planet to most people, but to me it is a constant battle between reading what's popular/been sent to me by the publisher/readable in 45 minutes versus stuff that is actually up my alley.The first one is constantly winning. So lately, when I don't like a book by an author, I try to...

#1 The Kiss Quotient ★★★★★#2 The Bride Test ★★★★☆ 'Nothing gets to you. It's like your heart is made of stone.'I always find it a little bit stressful to read the sequel of a book I loved, because there's so much pressure: what if the sequel isn't as good at the first book? Or what if it blows the first book out of the water and makes me rethink my entire rating system?! Because of that, it's pretty common for me to stall a bit when picking up a sequel, which is what happened with The Bride Tes...

*****FIVE STARS*****{ARC Generously Provided by Berkley Publishing Group}He could give her everything she wanted, a green card, real diamonds, his body, but love? Stone hearts didn’t love.She knew why he couldn’t love her. She could go to school, change her clothes, and change her speech, but she could never change where she’d come from.I didn't think I could love Khai & Esme's story as much as Michael & Stella's, but I did! I'm officially fangirling hard over Helen Hoang! This was a story that

Effortlessly, brilliantly narrated by Emily Woo Zeller, who should narrate all the things, The Bride Test was an emotional, romantic tour de force by Helen Hoang. I loved The Kiss Quotient, but I loved The Bride Test more. I love atypical MCs in romance, not only because it shows the world that romance novels aren't just muscle jocks and bikini babes (though those stories also deserve their place), but also that romance novels can be about the trials, triumphs, and, most of all, love of all kind...

This book was super cute. This story follows Khai (Michael’s cousin from The Kiss Quotient) and Khai is on the autism spectrum and doesn’t think he’s capable of feeling love. His love interest Esme is this Vietnamese woman his mother finds him and she arranges a marriage for them because she’s afraid her son will never find anyone. So we get this amazing fake dating trope that I love, on top of Helen Hoang’s adorable cute writing. I always really enjoy her writing - it’s so fluffy and cute and m...