Review: The Kiss Quotient
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Publication Date: May 30th, 2018
Format/Source: Paperback, purchased
Rating: 5/5 stars
Part of a series? Yes, it's the first in The Kiss Quotient Series, a series of standalones
Goodreads | Purchase: Amazon - Barnes and Noble - The Book Depository
Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases — a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.
It doesn't help that Stella has Asperger's and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice — with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can't afford to turn down Stella's offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan — from foreplay to more-than-missionary position...
Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but to crave all the other things he's making her feel. Soon, their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic...
So I was late to The Kiss Quotient Party. Like, I really do feel like I was the last person who actively reads romance ever to pick this book up, and I'm honestly disappointed in myself for it.
This is the first book I've read in a very long while that I can truly say I loved every bit of. The characters, the plot, the writing. I ate up every word. The Kiss Quotient is trope-y while still being unique, and watching these characters learn about themselves while falling in love with each other made me so happy.
I liked Stella immediately. She's smart and awkward and so relatable in her uncertainty in herself it almost hurt. It was also so refreshing to see a character with Asperger's in a romance. Often times, people's knowledge of individuals on the spectrum is restricted to children with autism, so sometimes we forget that these children with autism grow into adults with autism. Autistic adults deserve media representation, which is why Stella is so important, and she's all the more meaningful because Hoang herself has autism. It's hard not to be endeared to Stella.
And MICHAEL, oh my goodness. Michael might be one of my favorite contemporary heroes ever. He's wary of love and puts up a front at first, but he's still such a sweetheart to Stella and to his family. I loved his family dynamic, especially his relationship with his mom, and that Vietnamese culture was so heavily integrated into the novel. It made me miss my own mom and my wild Viet extended family (and Vietnamese food!) quite a bit, while simultaneously making me feel at home. Big big bonus: Michael is hot.
And MICHAEL, oh my goodness. Michael might be one of my favorite contemporary heroes ever. He's wary of love and puts up a front at first, but he's still such a sweetheart to Stella and to his family. I loved his family dynamic, especially his relationship with his mom, and that Vietnamese culture was so heavily integrated into the novel. It made me miss my own mom and my wild Viet extended family (and Vietnamese food!) quite a bit, while simultaneously making me feel at home. Big big bonus: Michael is hot.
I could ramble and shout my love for this book for days, but I'll leave it at this: I absolutely adored The Kiss Quotient - it's a triumph for romance and a completely delightful read from cover to cover. If you love contemporary romance and you have yet to pick this one up, I would highly, highly recommend it.
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