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roussette31's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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? It's complicated
3.5
This book was highly emotional, but I really liked it. The romance in it was super cute, and the character development was so well done on both sides.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, and Chronic illness
angelfireeast24's review
I thought this was going to be a romance but it's more a heartbreaking story about Anna. There is romance but I can't deal with so much pain right now
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Classism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Sexual content, Ableism, Misogyny, and Sexism
teatunesandtales's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
5.0
Part fiction, part memoir. Thank you Helen Hoang for writing my story also.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, Classism, Toxic relationship, and Medical content
Trigger Warnings: Caretaker burnout, Autistic burnout.jillkaarlela's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Taylor Swift songs: “I’m only me when I’m with you”
Age rating: 17+ (3 brief steamy scenes, 1.5/5🌶️)
This was a fairly emotional romance where the fmc has to cope with her autism spectrum diagnosis and unlearning her habits of masking. Please read with care and check the TW. This deals with pretty heavy topics. She has spent her whole life living for other people, doing only what everyone else wants, and it’s eating away at her. I love the journey of her finding the one person who never makes her feel like she has to put on a show. Quan is the one person who sees and loves Ana for her, and the only one who she doesn’t have to “mask” with. Their love is so tender and healing for both of them. I love the “failed” one night stand trope, where they plan to have a one night stand, but can’t seem to let each other go. They hold each other through truly dark times. They are just so perfect for each other!!
The way that Ana’s family treats her makes me want to scream. They always tell her what to do, and treat her with “tough love”, which is actually just bulldozing her wants and needs. It truly hearts my heart. This novel was definitely heavier than Hoang’s other novels, and it wasn’t my favorite, but it was still really great!
“When I realize I’m going south on the 101, I’m not surprised that I’m going straight to her. My compass always points to her.”
TW: emotional abuse, cancer (testicular), ableism, gaslighting, “tough love” very unsupportive family, terminal illness/end of life care, grief, death
Age rating: 17+ (3 brief steamy scenes, 1.5/5🌶️)
This was a fairly emotional romance where the fmc has to cope with her autism spectrum diagnosis and unlearning her habits of masking. Please read with care and check the TW. This deals with pretty heavy topics. She has spent her whole life living for other people, doing only what everyone else wants, and it’s eating away at her. I love the journey of her finding the one person who never makes her feel like she has to put on a show. Quan is the one person who sees and loves Ana for her, and the only one who she doesn’t have to “mask” with. Their love is so tender and healing for both of them. I love the “failed” one night stand trope, where they plan to have a one night stand, but can’t seem to let each other go. They hold each other through truly dark times. They are just so perfect for each other!!
The way that Ana’s family treats her makes me want to scream. They always tell her what to do, and treat her with “tough love”, which is actually just bulldozing her wants and needs. It truly hearts my heart. This novel was definitely heavier than Hoang’s other novels, and it wasn’t my favorite, but it was still really great!
“When I realize I’m going south on the 101, I’m not surprised that I’m going straight to her. My compass always points to her.”
TW: emotional abuse, cancer (testicular), ableism, gaslighting, “tough love” very unsupportive family, terminal illness/end of life care, grief, death
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Grief, Death of parent, Cancer, and Death
saraavowlerr's review
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Cancer, Cursing, Grief, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
onlyonebookshelf's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Gaslighting, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Infertility, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
xandriaisreading's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I found my way back to this series and I'm glad I did. I connected so much with Anna and her journey. It's not far off from the journey I'm currently on.
While her actions can be frustrating, they're understandable. Masking to the point that you lose yourself and sense of control. To get so low to the point she got before she really started to make a change, my heart ached for her. Especially during the conversations with her sister.
I really enjoyed this book just as I have the others. I wish we got to see more interactions with the previous main characters. To have Anna and Stella interact and have someone who more closely understands her struggle would've been interesting to read.
While her actions can be frustrating, they're understandable. Masking to the point that you lose yourself and sense of control. To get so low to the point she got before she really started to make a change, my heart ached for her. Especially during the conversations with her sister.
I really enjoyed this book just as I have the others. I wish we got to see more interactions with the previous main characters. To have Anna and Stella interact and have someone who more closely understands her struggle would've been interesting to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Ableism, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Death of parent and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Infertility
electricute's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
The romance in this book is tender and understanding, but it was the relationships with the main character's family that made this book special. The interactions and conversations are complex and meaningful.
</As someone who also went through hospice care for a parent in my mid twenties, I feel like this book had a good understanding of the complex feelings that go along with care taking. The descriptions of grief and guilt felt real and healing for me in some ways.>
</As someone who also went through hospice care for a parent in my mid twenties, I feel like this book had a good understanding of the complex feelings that go along with care taking. The descriptions of grief and guilt felt real and healing for me in some ways.>
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Terminal illness
zids's review
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Never have I needed an author's note so much in my life. I was sitting reading this book thinking "Helen Hoang EXPLAIN YOURSELF!"
I was a big fan of the Bride Test, and I thought the Kiss Quotient was fine. But Jesus Christmas, this book.
I can't even say I didn't enjoy it. I was just kind of baffled by it. It was very different than the other books in this series. It was miserable. It seemed so focused on it's own misery that the relationship between Quan and Anna kind of took a back seat.
I knew at a certain point that something like this MUST'VE happened to the author, it was extremely personal, and I don't think I was prepared to read a book about carer burnout when I was expecting something very lighthearted. It certainly didn't mention any of this on the blurb.
The end of the book didn't particularly satisfy me, either. Anna starts to struggle with suicidal ideation like fifteen pages before the book ends. This part of her story seemed like a footnote when, TO ME, it maybe should've been focused on more? Or completely omitted, really. Not much would've changed without it. Quan stopped feeling real after a while, his problems certainly weren't as big as Anna's, so he naturally took a backseat. Reading about him floating around as she tries to exit a depression really didn't do anything for me.
Also, I don't hate this as a plot point, but the fact that his cancer left him infertile AND with a bad case of body dysmorphia. This book pulled no punches. Misery all the way down.
I almost feel like Hoang's pain was a little too big for this book. The type of book she was writing and the volume of her suffering don't... match. I don't think it can't be done, but I also don't think she did it. I truly hope writing this was cathartic for her.
Again, it wasn't so much that I hated the book, it was just baffling to me how much misery could be packed into such a small book with such a bright, flirty cover.
I guess I have to accept that Bride Test was a one off for me, which makes me sad, because it made me so excited about Hoang as an author. Woof.
I was a big fan of the Bride Test, and I thought the Kiss Quotient was fine. But Jesus Christmas, this book.
I can't even say I didn't enjoy it. I was just kind of baffled by it. It was very different than the other books in this series. It was miserable. It seemed so focused on it's own misery that the relationship between Quan and Anna kind of took a back seat.
I knew at a certain point that something like this MUST'VE happened to the author, it was extremely personal, and I don't think I was prepared to read a book about carer burnout when I was expecting something very lighthearted. It certainly didn't mention any of this on the blurb.
The end of the book didn't particularly satisfy me, either. Anna starts to struggle with suicidal ideation like fifteen pages before the book ends. This part of her story seemed like a footnote when, TO ME, it maybe should've been focused on more? Or completely omitted, really. Not much would've changed without it. Quan stopped feeling real after a while, his problems certainly weren't as big as Anna's, so he naturally took a backseat. Reading about him floating around as she tries to exit a depression really didn't do anything for me.
Also, I don't hate this as a plot point, but the fact that his cancer left him infertile AND with a bad case of body dysmorphia. This book pulled no punches. Misery all the way down.
I almost feel like Hoang's pain was a little too big for this book. The type of book she was writing and the volume of her suffering don't... match. I don't think it can't be done, but I also don't think she did it. I truly hope writing this was cathartic for her.
Again, it wasn't so much that I hated the book, it was just baffling to me how much misery could be packed into such a small book with such a bright, flirty cover.
I guess I have to accept that Bride Test was a one off for me, which makes me sad, because it made me so excited about Hoang as an author. Woof.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Excrement, Grief, Cancer, Death of parent, Infertility, and Medical content
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
laheath's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-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
4.25
This was definitely my favorite of The Kiss Quotient trilogy. Both leads were likeable characters, and their relationship had potential, but they had their own obstacles to conquer before making a commitment. As seen in the first book, Quan seems like such a sweet, patient guy. He's out of the woods with one issue but still has to come to terms with what that means for his life. There's also a challenge to the company that he and Michael started in the first book. Anna is the passive, younger daughter in her family, who feels obligated to please everyone at the cost of her own happiness. She finally learns to stand up for herself, after facing professional and personal issues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Medical content
Minor: Infertility and Cancer