The Bride Test
(The Kiss Quotient#2)
Helen Hoang
Add to Goodreads
Buy Amazon | B&N | Apple
Release Date May 7, 2019

Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or contentment when ledgers balance down to the penny, but not big, important emotions—like grief. And love. He thinks he’s defective. His family knows better—that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. When he steadfastly avoids relationships, his mother takes matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride.

As a mixed-race girl living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, Esme Tran has always felt out of place. When the opportunity arises to come to America and meet a potential husband, she can’t turn it down, thinking this could be the break her family needs. Seducing Khai, however, doesn’t go as planned. Esme’s lessons in love seem to be working…but only on herself. She’s hopelessly smitten with a man who’s convinced he can never return her affection.

With Esme’s time in the United States dwindling, Khai is forced to understand he’s been wrong all along. And there’s more than one way to love.

I am one of what seems like the few that did not read The Kiss Quotient, so I did not go in with big expectations. I was intrigued enough by the premise and the popularity of TKQ to give this one a try. I will admit it took me a bit to get into it and at first I was really not sure, but I kept going and really warmed up to it.

My (Esme) is given an opportunity to leave Vietnam and spend the summer in America and hopefully fall in love with her sponsor's son and everyone will live happily ever after. At least that is the plan.

Well, Khai is as handsome as his mother promised, but he has a few more issues. He is autistic so he processes emotions differently. He is actually sure he does not feel any emotions, and therefore would never be able to be in a real relationship since he thinks he could not give another person the love they need.

Esme totally shakes up Khai's orderly life and it definitely takes him by surprise...as do his own reactions.  All she wants is acceptance, love, and a fresh start in America. But she also sees Khai for who he is, appreciates him, and strives to understand his quirks and needs. 

But bless his heart, he is struggling with his new thoughts and needs. And he is not adept with the nuances of male/female relationships and social skills in general. His thinking, actions, and lack of insight cause all kinds of angst and misunderstandings, and sometimes hurt feelings. He is a mix of clueless and adorable, but also hot, successful,  and highly intelligent. 

I liked them both and loved them together. I felt bad for both of them. Seeing Khai start to grow and learn about himself and be vulnerable was sweet, but seeing him hurt broke my heart. And Esme was a woman trying to find her own value and self worth while far from home. She also was carrying a secret. And it was easy for her to believe she was not worthy, but I loved her strength and tenacity.

It ramps up to the end of summer and what the final outcome will be. Some things I expected and some I did not. Some of the conflicts did seem to resolve a bit quickly and I thought the end was a bit rushed. There were a couple of plot things that I questioned. But overall, it turned out to be.a sweet, unique, low-key love story between unique and likable characters. They were not perfect and they made mistakes, but they really made a perfect match. But their communication and differences made it a rocky road to get there.

The author does a good job highlighting the cultural differences and personality differences of the characters. The side characters were good sounding boards and added some humor. I liked his mother with her big plans. There were cameos from Stella and Michael from the first book. I loved his brother, Quan and I imagine he might be the next book. 

Helen Hoang

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram 

Helen Hoang is that shy person who never talks. Until she does. And the worst things fly out of her mouth. She read her first romance novel in eighth grade and has been addicted ever since.

In 2016, she was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in line with what was previously known as Asperger’s Syndrome. Her journey inspired THE KISS QUOTIENT.

She currently lives in San Diego, California with her husband, two kids, and pet fish.