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penn_and_paper's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
emmas_reads_'s review against another edition
3.0
i have.. a few issues with this book.
esme. wonderful, accepting esme, who is supposed to be smart. throughout the story we’re constantly told she’s brilliant, but none of that is ever shown. we see that she passes her GED with flying colors, before she even knew she could get a student visa. if she’s that smart why the /fuck/ did she not research autism when khai tells her he’s autistic. it pisses me the ever-loving fuck off. and the fact that no one gets upset about that is /astounding/. she is also a big fat liar, but i feel she makes up for by actually knowing and being guilty because of the way she acted (i still hate liars though).
another thing, with khai’s family: they should’ve sent him to therapy. now, if there are negative cultural connotations, that’s different - in this book it was never even explored as an /option/. khai appears to have alexithymia (the inability to feel, understand, and/or name emotions) and one of the better ways to work through that is therapy. noticing as they so regularly do that khai has such an obvious struggle with emotions, i feel this should’ve at least been suggested by a relative or even intermediate family member. then again, i’m a very white person, so if that’s not how Asian immigrant or even Asian families in general work, that’s completely on me for not knowing and understanding - if that’s the case than i obviously need to learn more about different cultural norms.
i could’ve done without the sex in this book honestly - it didn’t feel like it added anything at all and it was pretty mediocre imo. i also could’ve done without the missing dad plotline… it felt very thrown in at the last minute and unnecessary.
on the other hand,
i really, really enjoyed them autism rep in this book though. i thought khai was portrayed really well - i related to him a lot - without any of his autism being “removed” (for lack of a better word) from his identity.
i also thought esme and jade were a very cute mother + daughter pair.
esme. wonderful, accepting esme, who is supposed to be smart. throughout the story we’re constantly told she’s brilliant, but none of that is ever shown. we see that she passes her GED with flying colors, before she even knew she could get a student visa. if she’s that smart why the /fuck/ did she not research autism when khai tells her he’s autistic. it pisses me the ever-loving fuck off. and the fact that no one gets upset about that is /astounding/. she is also a big fat liar, but i feel she makes up for by actually knowing and being guilty because of the way she acted (i still hate liars though).
another thing, with khai’s family: they should’ve sent him to therapy. now, if there are negative cultural connotations, that’s different - in this book it was never even explored as an /option/. khai appears to have alexithymia (the inability to feel, understand, and/or name emotions) and one of the better ways to work through that is therapy. noticing as they so regularly do that khai has such an obvious struggle with emotions, i feel this should’ve at least been suggested by a relative or even intermediate family member. then again, i’m a very white person, so if that’s not how Asian immigrant or even Asian families in general work, that’s completely on me for not knowing and understanding - if that’s the case than i obviously need to learn more about different cultural norms.
i could’ve done without the sex in this book honestly - it didn’t feel like it added anything at all and it was pretty mediocre imo. i also could’ve done without the missing dad plotline… it felt very thrown in at the last minute and unnecessary.
on the other hand,
i really, really enjoyed them autism rep in this book though. i thought khai was portrayed really well - i related to him a lot - without any of his autism being “removed” (for lack of a better word) from his identity.
i also thought esme and jade were a very cute mother + daughter pair.
monalisalisa's review against another edition
2.0
I really hate to say this but I couldn’t deal with this book. I have a thing against characters who keep a huge secret throughout the whole book but claim to be ‘in love’ with the person they’re keeping said secret from. And I couldn’t connect to either or the characters, I didn’t care if they go together or not by the end of my reading. I love the Kiss Quotient and Helen Hoang but I couldn’t finish this book.
sheiltheshell's review against another edition
5.0
I feel like I had heard mixed reviews about this series but I am loving it. These books are the only things yanking me out of my reading slumps highkey. Love Khai and Esme sm. One of my favorite reads of the year thus far
silvfere's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
blurrypetals's review against another edition
3.0
Even though I was really pleased with The Kiss Quotient right after I finished it, it ended up not sitting so great with me as time passed. It's still a really cute book, but it isn't as adorable and heartwarming as I initially felt.
With that said, I think I'm going to have a similar thing happen with this book. I think it's a 3 now, but in a month or two, I think it will be closer to a 2. We'll see obviously, but I think Hoang's writing is far less of a lasting thing for me. It's much more of a fleeting fling.
I did enjoy this book, but I think it was very insta-lovey, the relationship seemed to be more than just a little forced, and I had a hard time feeling their connection.
I appreciate Hoang's valiant effort to make her writing diverse. It's probably the thing I enjoy most about her writing, but character comes first, and if your characters are nothing but the thing they're representing, then people are going to feel that. I am feeling that.
That all said, this still had a few pretty good moments and it was a good timewaster. I'm interested to see if Hoang gets better as her career goes on or not; guess I'll have to wait and see!
With that said, I think I'm going to have a similar thing happen with this book. I think it's a 3 now, but in a month or two, I think it will be closer to a 2. We'll see obviously, but I think Hoang's writing is far less of a lasting thing for me. It's much more of a fleeting fling.
I did enjoy this book, but I think it was very insta-lovey, the relationship seemed to be more than just a little forced, and I had a hard time feeling their connection.
I appreciate Hoang's valiant effort to make her writing diverse. It's probably the thing I enjoy most about her writing, but character comes first, and if your characters are nothing but the thing they're representing, then people are going to feel that. I am feeling that.
That all said, this still had a few pretty good moments and it was a good timewaster. I'm interested to see if Hoang gets better as her career goes on or not; guess I'll have to wait and see!
enur's review against another edition
2.0
Kapanış bölümünden önce 2.5'dan 3 mü versem diyordum ama 4 yıl beklemişler mi? İlişkilerinin tarzına çok ters. Karakterleri de sevdiğim söylenemez. TKQ'da Khai daha ilgi çekiciydi. The Bride Test de The Kiss Quotient'a dediğim gibi tek seferlik bir okuma oldu. Bir daha dönüp bakmam. Alıntıladığım, hislendiğim, güldüğüm bir şey olmadı. Kitabı öyle dümdüz okudum.
hellobookbird's review against another edition
5.0
He’d make a lucky girl even luckier someday, and they’d live a long, lucky life together. She hoped they experienced food poisoning at least once. Nothing life-threatening, of course. Just inconvenient—make that very inconvenient. And mildly painful. Embarrassing, too.
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.
I'm honestly not really into the whole mail-order bride type thing, but Hoang's [b: The Kiss Quotient|36199084|The Kiss Quotient (The Kiss Quotient, #1)|Helen Hoang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1527983633l/36199084._SX50_.jpg|57828311] (which you don't need to read first) was a delightful read and Khai was always a character I wanted to see more of.
Wowee, was this so freaking adorable! I will literally shout the praises for this book off rooftops all day if I have to!
Nothing gets to you. It’s like your heart is made of stone.
You'll be heartbroken: Khai's best friend had died and that little lost, lonely boy "learned" the lie that he was unable to love—because he didn't react the same way others did.
She laughed and wrapped her arms around him, grinning at him as her eyes sparkled in the sunlight. Right then and there, Khai decided green was his favorite color, but it had to be this specific shade of seafoam green.
You'll be enchanted: Esme has had a rough life and all she wants is to do right by her little girl. She has a beautiful soul and does her damndest to carve out a life of herself, her family, and to do well by Khai. She has an unflinching moral compass, a determination of steel, and is quick to smile and laugh. She's the person that will light your day just being in their presence.
After a heart-pounding second, logic returned to his brain, and he concluded she must have adopted a Western name to help her in the States. He did not have a harem. Thank God.
You'll be laughing: Co (Khai's mother) is one of the most outrageously nosy and overbearing mothers you'll meet...and the love she has for her sons suffuses everything she does. She bustles around like she owns the place (because she does) and she's always quick to give her opinions (which are always right).
When his eyelids drooped with pleasure and he nodded, she grew braver. She pushed her other hand from his jaw up to his temple and into his hairline. “How is that?” she whispered. “Good.” The word rumbled out of him, deep, almost gravelly.
You'll be flustered: Hoang is a master teaser. The build-up is exquisite, honest, and delicious. The delivery is even more so!
“Don’t forget to apologize. First with words. Then with your tongue.”
You'll be laughing more: Quan (Khai's brother) is the playboy of the family...the one Co doesn't have to worry about because he's well versed in the art of women. But you can't hate him because he's one of the most charming and genuinely warm characters in the book. He's the best older brother...and sometimes the talks he has to have with Khai are completely giggle-worthy. (Also, I seriously hope Hoang's next book is about Quan...please, please, please romance gods! Answer my prayer!)
In a split second, she redefined perfection for him. His standards aligned to her exact proportions and measurements. No one else would ever live up to her.
You'll be melting: No matter how cheesy you think Khai's emotions may read out of context, they're so well delivered that your heart will literally turn to putty. There is absolutely nothing I would want more than to be the object of his affections because they are completely genuine, severely deep, and absolutely, completely him.
"My heart works in a different way, but it’s yours. You’re my one.”
Recommended for absolutely everyone but especially mah fellow romance lovers.
kait_kosub's review against another edition
3.0
3.5⭐
It's not that the book was bad... but I found the side Characters carried the story better for me. I can't wait for Quan's book next! Also!! Why was Michael and Stella's wedding just glanced over!!! I found Khai lacked personality, and so did Esme. I wished I could connect and feel their love more! I just felt it was a little rushed. Like they kissed and had sex and I didn't feel the build up and tension as much as I wanted. I also think Esme should have told Khai about Jade way sooner than the wedding day... I don't know I found that odd. And added to the narrative that they didn't really know each other and that's probably also why the readers couldn't feel their connection.
It's not that the book was bad... but I found the side Characters carried the story better for me. I can't wait for Quan's book next! Also!! Why was Michael and Stella's wedding just glanced over!!! I found Khai lacked personality, and so did Esme. I wished I could connect and feel their love more! I just felt it was a little rushed. Like they kissed and had sex and I didn't feel the build up and tension as much as I wanted. I also think Esme should have told Khai about Jade way sooner than the wedding day... I don't know I found that odd. And added to the narrative that they didn't really know each other and that's probably also why the readers couldn't feel their connection.